Margot Durand Cozy Mystery Boxed Set: Books 4 - 6 Page 5

  They kept their conversation light as they ate, but slowly Margot grew impatient. “We didn't find anything today,” she said needlessly.

  “That’s where I’d beg to differ.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “We may not have found a smoking gun, but we did find that Tony’s seemingly innocuous death could still be considered linked to Russ’s.”

  “Because of the break-in,” she supplied.

  “Yes. I mean, it was so clean. Almost as if whoever had done it had gotten in with a key. Now, I get that this is all circumstantial, but the fact that Harrison feels threatened too makes me wonder if he’s gotten a specific threat or something.”

  “I had wondered the same thing. I also found it odd that there were no signs of forced entry. How else could someone get in?”

  He smiled. “I thought I saw you checking all the doors and windows.”

  She shrugged, knowing he pointed it out because he was proud of her, not because he was angry she was snooping.

  “But what we didn’t find was what they are looking for.”

  Adam nodded. “I mean, without knowing what was missing, it will be nearly impossible to know if the intruder found it and took it.”

  “It’s like looking for a needle in a hay stack.”

  “It does feel that way.” Adam took a sip of his lemonade and looked out to the back of his expansive yard. Clint had settled in a spot on the concrete between them and had his eyes closed as if in perfect happiness. If only she felt as happy and peaceful as that. But she wouldn’t until this was solved and the case put to rest.

  “So what do we do now?”

  “Well, first things first—the Maryland PD will investigate the break-in. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the intruder will have left some prints behind. And we still will need to wait for the M.E.’s results.”

  “But in the unlikely event that that actually happened—”

  “Hey now, Debbie Downer,” Adam said, grinning at her. “No need for the negativity. But really, if that doesn't happen then I’ve got a few other avenues we can explore. We just need to—”

  Margot’s phone rang and, while she wasn't in the habit of interrupting dinner to answer the phone, Adam waved her on. “I’ll go grab dessert.”

  “So much for healthy,” she said, making a face.

  The call was from Dexter and, for a moment, she wondered if he was in trouble. Then again, she reminded herself there was no trouble. She hadn’t seen the men again and he hadn’t said anything to her. She was just overreacting, she was sure.

  “Hello?” she said, pressing the phone to her ear.

  “Hey, Margot, sorry to bother you after hours.”

  “Don’t be. Honestly, you may be my employee, but I see you as a friend too,” she said, hoping he knew she meant every word.

  “Thanks, Margot, that means a lot.”

  “Why’d you call?” she asked cheerfully.

  “It’s about those names you had me look up.”

  Her pulse sped up at the thought that maybe this was another way they could progress their investigation.

  “Did you find something?”

  “Actually, I found a lot.”

  His answer thrilled her and she grinned. “Spill it!”

  He laughed and she paced the patio as he began to explain.

  “Turns out that Sean Kaufman, once an employee at King’s Scuba—which is still in business, by the way—went into the military. His records were easy enough to ha…trace—” Dexter cleared his throat. “—and I found out that he’s currently working in Virginia Beach.”

  “You’re kidding.” Margot’s exclamation drew Adam’s questioning glance, but she ignored him. “You found out all of that?”

  “I haven’t found out about his sister yet, though. I still need to dig a little more.”

  “You’re a miracle worker,” she said, shaking her head. But something he’d said—or almost said—worried her. “How did you find all of this out? And so quickly?”

  He laughed nervously. “I’m pretty good at this type of stuff.”

  “Dexter?”

  “Sorry, Margot, but I’ve got to go. Some friends and I are going out tonight. See ya tomorrow.”

  She was about to demand more answers from him when he hung up. Sighing, she set the phone down on the table and took her seat again.

  “What did Dexter want?” Adam asked, intrigued.

  “I asked him to look up some names for me.”

  Adam’s eyes narrowed. “What do you have up your sleeve?”

  She laughed, knowing that Adam knew her better than anyone. She explained how Sean and his sister Melinda might fit into all of this.

  “How is he still in the military if he is…what?” Adam did the math in his head. “Almost sixty?”

  “Well, to be fair, Dexter said he’d gone into the military. He’s likely retired out of the service now but stayed near Virginia Beach. Many retirees stay near bases. I know many veterans do that so they can take advantage of what the base offers. It’s a smart thing, really.”

  Adam conceded the point. “Either way, it’s suspicious. I’ll look into it. Though I doubt there’s something I can find that Dex hasn’t.”

  His statement drew her attention. “What do you mean?”

  Adam’s jaw clenched as if he knew he’d made a mistake by saying what he had. “Never mind.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to press further when her phone rang again. This time it was Rosie.

  “Hey, Rosie,” she said, flashing an apologetic look at Adam again, “what’s up?”

  She listened for a moment, agreed, then hung up. “Looks like I'm on for dinner tomorrow with Bentley and Rosie. You’re invited—”

  He shook his head. “I’m giving a seminar at the community college.”

  “Good for you,” she said, leaning forward to look at the dessert he’d brought out. “The students are lucky to have you speak.”

  He grinned and cut a slice of chocolate cake. “Want some?”

  “You know I do,” she said with a smile.

  When he handed it over, he met her gaze. “Don’t worry about Dex. He’s a good kid with a smart head on his shoulders. Besides, your attention should be on me. I mean…” He grinned wickedly. “Helping me with this case.”

  She laughed, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease. Adam knew her so well and always knew what to say. She agreed and they dug into their cake, thoughts of Dexter’s past still in Margot’s mind, but pushed to the back. For now.

  Chapter 7

  At dinner that night at Pane Dolce, a local Italian restaurant owned by her good friend Antonio, Margot clinked her wine glass with his and Rosie’s, enjoying a good meal with two of her closest friends.

  When Rosie excused herself to go to the restroom, Margot said, “I’m surprised Harrison didn’t join us.”

  Bentley frowned, clearly unhappy about something. “He’s a difficult one.”

  “What do you mean? Has it not been going well at your place?”

  “My place? He up and left yesterday morning.”

  “What?” Margot leaned forward, thoughts of her spinach lasagna forsaken.

  “He got a call, took it on the balcony, then came inside and said he was feeling confined. Said he’d have Nils check them into a local hotel. I don't know.” Bentley waved dismissively. “He’s always been a bit of a free spirit. I told him I was going to dinner and I’d either see him when I got back or not.”

  “I’m sorry, Bentley,” she said, shaking her head. “I suppose it’s good that he’s still in the area, though.”

  “I don’t mind so much. It’s nice to have the place back to myself, but I’m worried about him.”

  She was more worried about Bentley, knowing that he was alone now and without the benefit of Nils’s protection, but she kept her mouth shut.

  “He thinks he is in serious danger—I can tell. But I…I’m just not so sure.”

  Noting that
Rosie still hadn’t come back from the restroom, Margot leaned closer to Bentley and told him about what happened up in Maryland with Tony’s house.

  “Tossed, you say? What were they looking for?”

  “We don’t know. I mean, how could we?”

  “Good point,” he said, nodding. “I wish I’d been up to his place before all of this. Maybe I could have been of some help.”

  Margot smiled, knowing that was undoubtedly true. Bentley was a keenly observant and quick-witted person; it came from all of his days as a prosecutor.

  She nodded as Rosie joined them at the table again. They slipped back into their easy conversation revolving around the church’s potluck that weekend, Rosie insisting on bringing Bentley, and then Margot’s plans for the summer.

  When they were done, Margot picked up the tab, as she usually did when she had dinner with these two, and then offered to drive Bentley home. She wanted to talk with him more about his friend Harrison, but didn’t want Rosie to worry. The older woman gave them both bone-crushing hugs then went off to her red VW Bug, honking the horn twice as she drove away.

  Margot drove the familiar roads to Bentley’s place, slipping into easy conversation about the past. He shared more stories from his time working for King’s Scuba, but nothing seemed to give Margot any more of a picture of Harrison or the other men Bentley had been friends with. Certainly nothing he said tied them to the present, but she hadn’t expected that.

  No, she reasoned that something must have happened currently to set these events into motion.

  She walked with Bentley up the steps to his apartment and was about to say good night when she heard him gasp upon opening the door.

  “What is it—” she said, the words dying in her mouth at the sight in front of her.

  Bentley’s apartment was ransacked. The table was overturned, couch cushions were cut open, paintings were off the walls, and clutter from his desk was strewn everywhere. Whoever had been here had been looking for something—just like they had been at Tony’s place.

  An icy chill raced down her spine as she reached for her phone. “I’m calling Adam.”

  Bentley merely nodded, surveying the mess and shaking his head. Then his eyes connected with Margot’s. “What about Harrison?”

  Margot’s finger hovered on the call button, Adam’s handsome profile picture looking up at her from the lit screen.

  She huffed out a breath. “Do you know where he’s staying?”

  Bentley nodded.

  “Give him a call.”

  He fumbled for his cell phone and while he made a call, she called Adam and filled him in. He said he would be over with a team in a few minutes and hung up.

  As she waited for Bentley to finish his call, Margot checked the locks again. Nothing. It looked as if whoever had broken in had used a key. But how was that possible? Or were they just very skilled at picking locks? She wasn’t sure that was possible.

  Bentley hung up just then and turned to her. “They can’t get him. They called several times to his room but…he’s not answering.”

  “I’ll go and check on him.”

  “Is that safe?”

  “You say he’s staying at the Bay View, right?”

  Bentley nodded.

  “Then yes, it’s safe. The doors are all inside. I have a friend who works there. She can get me a key and I’ll just check on him. I’m sure he’s fine—or he and Nils went out for dinner. He’s got a bodyguard, Bentley, he’ll be okay.”

  “But you’re really going to go? By yourself?”

  Margot nodded. She didn’t want to tell Bentley this, but she had a feeling it was high time she had a conversation with Harrison without Bentley present. She needed to ask some tough questions and wasn’t sure she was ready for Bentley to know her suspicions.

  “I’ll be back before you know it. Do you want to go next door to Anita’s?”

  Bentley’s eyes darkened. “I’ll stay here.”

  She almost laughed, knowing he wasn’t a fan of his neighbor’s vivacious ways, but the seriousness of the situation kept her humor in check. “I’ll be back.”

  And with that, she left for the Bay View hotel.

  Margot pulled up close to the front office of the Bay View and left her purse in the front seat. She locked the doors as she left, but she didn’t plan on being there too long. Then again, if Harrison did have anything to tell her, she might have to stay longer than she’d expected.

  Either way, North Bank was known for its relative safety. It was why so many retirees moved to the community. The crime rate was low and the people, friendly.

  She smiled as she walked in, happy to see Pricilla behind the counter.

  “Margot. What a surprise! Did you come by to see me?” She giggled, the sound coming out light and girlish despite the woman’s older age.

  “Well, in a way, yes, but…”

  “But mostly no?” The woman’s eyebrows shot up and she shrugged. “I figured as much. It’s close to dark out and I did just get a call from Bentley.”

  Margot laughed. “You’d make a good detective, Pricilla. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “No,” she said, hands on her plump hips, “But if spending time watching Diagnosis Murder and Murder, She Wrote is a prerequisite, then I’d be an expert.” She winked.

  Margot leaned against the tall counter. “I have a favor to ask.”

  Though no one was in the main office, Pricilla leaned forward conspiratorially. “And what’s this about? Another case you’re looking in to?”

  “What do you mean?” Margot feigned ignorance.

  “The Detective Lady herself pretends she doesn't know what I'm talking about. Shoo.” Pricilla waved her hands. “Don’t be like that, Margot. I’ve followed your career.”

  Margot laughed, almost giving in to the blush creeping up her cheeks. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about those murder mysteries you’ve already solved. I even heard a rumor you went off and solved one in Mexico! Makes my life here at the Bay View seem positively dull in perspective.”

  Margot laughed, shaking her head. “It’s not like that at all. I—”

  “Don't,” she said, closing her eyes and lifting a hand. “Don’t go and ruin my perfect image of you and your wild independence. It gives me something to hope for—even in my old age.”

  Margot laughed, she couldn’t help it. Pricilla was known to be dramatic but she was also the sweetest person Margot knew.

  “All right. I won’t ruin your image of me. But I will ask my favor now, if I may.”

  “Shoot, darlin’.” She leaned forward, expectation written between the wrinkles.

  “Can I get in to room one-oh-four?”

  Pricilla’s eyebrows rose. “You mean the room of that handsome devil of a man?”

  Margot laughed again. “Uh, I suppose he is handsome,” she conceded, though she never would have described him as such.

  “Sure enough. He stands out clearly in my memory. That and the unlit cigar he always carries. Here I was, telling him our rooms are nonsmoking, and what does he do?” She paused, waiting to see if Margot would hazard a guess, but Margot had no idea what Harrison would do. “He wags it at me and says he’d never dream of lighting it and then he kissed me on the cheek.”

  Pricilla almost swooned right there, but instead she grabbed a keycard and came around the desk with Margot. “Come on, sugar. Let’s go spy on Mister Handsome Devil.”

  That wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind, but Pricilla was already halfway down the hallway. “Oh, we’re not spying—”

  “Couse not,” she said with a wink. “But what else are you supposed to do when a man’s not in his room?”

  So he still wasn’t in?

  “I just called him again before you showed up. Thought I’d see if he could call Bentley—either that or if he needed anything. My night’s been slow and I thought to check in on some of our guests.”

  Margot could only imagine
how well taken care of the few guests were. It was a weekday night and still not peak season yet, which usually meant that business would be slow in all parts of the town.

  “And you got no response.”

  “Nope,” she said, her pursed lips tight. “I didn’t see him leave either. You know our back door only opens to the garden and beach beyond, no exit there, so he would have had to come past me and believe you me, he wouldn’t have made it past me.”

  Margot did believe her.

  “Here we are,” she said, stopping in front of the door marked with an elegant 104. It was ajar.

  “Uh,” Margot said, reaching out a hand. “Hold on there, Pricilla.”

  “Why, that’s strange. Why would his door be open?”

  Margot had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “Why don’t you—” she started to say but, faster than she’d expected for a woman of Pricilla’s age, the woman stepped around Margot and pushed the door in. Her exclamation sent Margot’s heart pounding.

  “Pricilla, come back here. We don’t know—”

  “This room is a mess!” the woman said, her attention fixed on the expanse in front of her with clutter everywhere. It looked like Bentley’s apartment had. The door to the bedroom was ajar and Margot made her way toward it, apprehension prickling the back of her neck.

  Then Pricilla let out a scream as she turned in the same direction as Margot. Margot’s blood ran cold as she saw what her friend had. A pair of feet sticking out from the side of the bed.

  Before she could stop her, Margot watched in horror as Pricilla went around the bed and stopped, her face draining of all color.

  “Goodness me! He’s dead.”

  Chapter 8

  “What were you thinking?” Adam said, standing with his back to everyone as they talked quietly in the corner.

  “I was thinking that I was going to have a tough conversation with Harrison. I didn’t want Bentley here and I knew that you were on your way to him, so…”

  “So you came here by yourself.”

  She folded her arms and met his concerned gaze. “I know. It was foolish in hindsight, but Pricilla was with me and—”