Beachside Murder (A Team Gossip Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read online

  For now, my best option was to help the police solve the case and stop everyone from thinking that eating at the Sand & Sea was dangerous.

  Still, one person had died and a second one had been very close to death.

  Brittany had escaped death by minutes. If I hadn’t entered her room or found her, she would’ve died very quickly.

  Vincent had worked with Brittany for long, and Brittany wasn’t the kind of woman to give up. I’d first assumed that she’d been unable to bear her guilt, but what if there had been more to the story? What if she hadn’t ended her life to dodge a trial? What if she’d hoped to protect someone else? Or what if someone else had wanted to silence her?

  Before Parrish had died, I’d approached him and his rival businessman when they’d been arguing. Vincent had stood beside me, and he’d had the chance to put the barbiturates in the drink. Brittany could’ve planned to wait until Parrish died naturally, but Vincent was impatient and didn’t want to waste his youth waiting. He could’ve broken into Brittany’s room to get the will and to ensure that she was the heiress. If he’d found the will that he’d expected, it would’ve appeared a few days later and she’d have inherited him. It would’ve been the perfect crime.

  Vincent had cheated on me, but I didn’t want to believe that he was a murderer. Perhaps he wasn’t the only person involved, and maybe someone else was planning to get rid of him to avoid being discovered.

  Nathan needed to know everything I knew, and he needed to know it soon. They had to solve the crime and return Greensea to normality. The restaurant had gone downhill, and the hotel was following. It could be too late even if the crime was solved, but we’d be worse off if nobody solved it.

  I stood up abruptly. “I need to talk to Nathan,” I said.

  April looked up with a wide grin. “About time,” she said. “I was thinking that you’d never get together.”

  “Not about that!” I complained, but I didn’t stay to argue with her.

  I caught myself smiling as I left the restaurant. I did like Nathan, and I was very glad that he was involved in this case.

  I didn’t have time to think about feelings, though. Nathan was a good friend for the time being, and we’d have more than enough time to consider dating once everything was over.

  Chapter 43

  “We’ve brought beers and sandwiches.” Ivy placed everything on my dining table as if she were in her own home.

  “We’ll eat something with you.” Aunt Agnes guided the others in so that they didn’t show compassion for invading my home. “You need company.”

  Flora nodded in agreement. “After everything that’s happened today.”

  Aunt Etta sat at the table and tucked a corner of the tablecloth down the neck of her blouse to be able to eat wildly without staining her clothes. They didn’t plan to leave anytime soon.

  Team Gossip had somehow discovered everything that had happened to Brittany. They’d visited me without giving me the option not to open. I really had to get Aunt Agnes’s keys back. They insisted that they’d come to comfort me and to cheer me up after the traumatic events, but they were clearly after first-hand information about Brittany.

  I was waiting for Nathan, so I would’ve preferred them to stay at home.

  “Here comes Nathan,” Ivy said cheerfully.

  Seconds later, Nathan rang the doorbell and walked in. Team Gossip quickly rose from the table and surrounded him. He looked at each of them, sighed in resignation and didn’t even try to dodge them. He knew it was useless to try.

  “Nathaniel!” Ivy said cheerfully. “What a pleasant coincidence.”

  “We didn’t expect you to come so soon,” Flora added.

  “But now that you’re here…” Aunt Agnes began.

  “Why don’t you tell us what’s happened?” Aunt Etta said. “We’ve spent the whole day trying to know what’s going on.”

  The others stared at her sternly for a millisecond, but they quickly went back to Nathan and tried to act as if they were simply innocent neighbors worried by the crimes in the region.

  “Has Brittany tried to kill herself?” Aunt Agnes asked.

  Nathan didn’t know how to react. His eyes went from one, to another, to the next, and so on whenever they spoke. They drilled him with questions and didn’t give him enough time to dodge them.

  “Or is someone else behind this?” Ivy asked. “I don’t think she’s tried to kill herself; you would have been able to prove her implication in the murder.”

  “And she’s dumb,” Flora said, “but not dumb enough to use the same drugs as someone used on Parrish.”

  “Do you think you’ll catch the culprit?” Aunt Etta asked innocently.

  “Do you suspect of Meghan’s ex-boyfriend?” Aunt Agnes asked.

  “I never liked him,” Ivy said. “Good looks, but lacking in every other area.”

  “I can’t speak of the case,” Nathan said.

  “But have you discovered anything interesting?” Aunt Agnes insisted.

  “I can’t tell you,” Nathan said. “You can ask all you want, but I’m not allowed to say. We’re still working on everything, and that’s all I’ll ever say.”

  “Oooh!” Ivy clapped her hands in excitement. “Means they’re making progress!”

  “We should pay a visit to the captain,” Flora suggested.

  “I’ll cook this time,” Aunt Etta offered.

  “No, no.” Nathan tried to calm them down. “The captain doesn’t want any visitors at the station. He wants to be able to work without losing our minds. I’m sure that he’ll thank you for your gesture, but you can eat the pie yourselves.”

  “Are you saying that we’re bad cooks?” Aunt Agnes said. The hint of a smile appeared on her lips, but it was too subtle for Nathan to notice.

  “No,” Nathan said. “You just can’t enter my workplace and start feeding everyone. You cook really well, but you can’t invade us.”

  “Perfect.” Aunt Agnes ignored his words. “Let’s organize ourselves, girls. We’re going to visit the captain and Nathaniel’s other colleagues and take them some proper homemade food. Young people eat too much junk food.”

  The others giggled and stared expectantly at Nathan. They were after his disagreement and after a debate, but the case was draining Nathan too much for him to fight his aunt and her friends. He took a deep breath and gave up. The captain would have to take care of them.

  Neither of them was going to leave until they made Nathan speak. They were like a fierce dog biting a bone; they weren’t going to release him unless they found something juicier. Right now, the juiciest material was directly linked to the crime. It’s one of the problems of living in a quiet neighborhood.

  If I didn’t help him out, he’d have to suffer them at work again.

  “Nathan can’t tell us anything,” I told them. “It’s part of his job: he can’t speak to family or friends, or we might accidentally warn the culprit and make the case more difficult.”

  “Awww,” Ivy said tenderly. “How cute.”

  “Jumping up in Nathaniel’s defense,” Flora said.

  “I knew you’d make a perfect couple,” Aunt Etta said.

  “Why had you kept it so quiet?” Aunt Agnes said. “Don’t you trust your aunt?”

  I denied everything and Nathan started retreating back to the door, planning to escape and to come back later. Team Gossip noticed and stared at each other. Their heads barely moved, but they understood each other and quickly stopped placing so much pressure on him.

  “Girls,” Aunt Agnes said, “let’s leave the happy couple alone. They need some privacy.”

  “So they can do whatever young couples do,” Ivy said.

  They all laughed, teased us for a few more seconds, and quickly disappeared. The murder and their investigation had brought new life to them; they were at least a decade younger than before. They were becoming more and more dangerous.

  Nathan finally sighed in relief and dropped onto the couch, exhaust
ed. “They’re going to bury us all,” he said. “They’re draining our energy and using it to grow younger.”

  We both laughed, criticized them for a while, and finally returned to talking about the case. I updated him about everything I’d seen in Brittany’s room and gave him copies of the pictures I’d taken. He studied them and thanked me.

  I’d dreaded the moment of talking about the case. I didn’t want to hear that Vincent had become a suspect or that the police were investigating him. I tried not to mention his name.

  Instead of talking about him, Nathan told me about one of Parrish’s nephews. Adam was going through serious economic problems, and he was borderline bankrupt. His inheritance was going to save him from losing everything.

  Recent events flashed through my mind.

  Adam had been very serious when talking to Tina in the elevator. They hadn’t been worried because I’d seen them, but because they were hiding something. Tina had also called someone in secret, and they’d been together very often. Perhaps they had something to do with the crime. And perhaps Tina wasn’t as innocent as she’d looked. Why was she still working at the restaurant if her boyfriend had just inherited such a fortune? It didn’t make sense unless she was trying to hide something.

  And now, everything formed a clear picture. They’d used the Sand & Sea, they’d used Vincent and Brittany. They could’ve learned about Brittany’s and Vincent’s plot to inherit Parrish’s money and used it in their favor, making them look less guilty in everyone’s eyes.

  Perhaps Brittany had been innocent after all, and she hadn’t planned to kill anyone. Vincent had been a manipulative and treacherous snake, but he wasn’t a murderer either.

  My hunches weren’t enough to accuse either of them, though. Tina and Adam couldn’t be linked to the crime unless they made a mistake. Until then, they were free to roam around the hotel and to continue their murderous streak.

  Chapter 44

  Just five more minutes, I promised myself once I’d spent half an hour jogging. I wanted to exercise to keep my mind focused, but I secretly hoped to see my mystery jogger again. I hadn’t seen him for days, and I’d never seen him close enough to talk to him.

  What’s wrong with me? I’m supposed to like Nathan. Why am I thinking about a man I’ve never talked to?

  I didn’t see the jogger, so I went back home. I wanted to see him up close because I had high hopes, but he’d disappoint me in one way or another. I was very unlucky with men, and he’d probably end up being really ugly, he’d cheat on me, or he’d be some other kind of unwanted company. Did I sound bitter? Perhaps a little. He could be perfect, but I was likelier to win the lottery. Twice.

  When I got back home, Nathan was leaving Aunt Etta’ house. He wore jeans, a t-shirt and blazer, and sports shoes instead of proper shoes. As a teen, he always wore running shoes everywhere, and now he changed them as soon as he got out of his car to go to work.

  And I was sweaty and unkempt after jogging.

  Way to go, Meghan. Are you sabotaging yourself on purpose?

  “Jogging again?” he said. “Aren’t you overexercising lately?”

  “I’m training in case I plan to rob a bank,” I said. “If the Sand & Sea keeps going badly, I’ll have to look for a new job.”

  What?

  “What?” He chuckled, but quickly reacted. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s easier to escape on a car. You’re less likely to get caught.”

  Awesome. I didn’t only make random comments; they were also wrong.

  “Won’t you join me someday?” I asked abruptly. Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t want to invite him anywhere. What if he said no? Could I take it back?

  He chuckled to himself and glanced down at my figure. “As much as I like pretty girls in sweaty clothes, April and Team Gossip always shout things at me when I run. I’m starting to sympathize with women when they walk past a construction site, you know?”

  Wait a minute. Was he my mystery jogger?

  And had he approved my sweaty appearance? Had he called me pretty?

  And had he just told me that he knew that everyone shouted things at him?

  Did he also know that I liked him? Both as Nathan and as the mystery jogger?

  My cheeks burnt and my smile froze in my face. What was I supposed to do? Kiss him? Throw myself into his arms and let him catch me? Wait for him to make a move?

  Why was I so awfully nervous whenever I was with him? And why did I keep considering possibilities without taking action?

  We broke the moment and quickly returned to talking about the case. I had a bad feeling about Vincent and worried that he’d had the chance and the motive to kill Parrish and get rid of Brittany. Nathan didn’t think that Vincent was behind the crimes; recent events were like placing a neon sign on his forehead.

  Was Vincent this dumb?

  Chapter 45

  Nathan and I were still talking outside our homes when Lord James ran towards us and started barking happily around us. Nathan took a stick from a nearby bush and threw it away. Instead of chasing after it, Lord James stared at him, confused. Dogs with human complexes don’t fetch sticks.

  “What an unexpected coincidence,” Ivy said as Team Gossip approached us. They were ready to go to the beach, with swimming costumes, beach dresses, and sunglasses.

  “We didn’t expect to meet anyone today,” Aunt Agnes said.

  Ivy laughed to herself with her classic hey, hey, hey. They’d known perfectly well that they were going to catch us, and now we had no escape.

  “Are you talking about the crime?” Aunt Etta asked.

  The others glared at her. She’d revealed their cards once again.

  “Why don’t you join us and come to the beach?” Aunt Agnes said. “Both of you look very pale and unhealthy. The sun will suit you well.”

  “And you can see each other in swimming gear.” Ivy winked an eye at us. “Unless you’ve already seen each other with less clothes, in which case swimming costumes won’t be an incentive to make you join us.”

  “Oh, the things you say,” Flora complained under her breath. She quickly cheered up and addressed us again. “But she’s right: you’re always indoors. Why don’t you join us?”

  “I’m late to work,” Nathan said.

  “I need to shower,” I said.

  “Excellent,” Aunt Etta said. “We can join Nathaniel at work.”

  “Can we?” Ivy said eagerly. “Can we, can we?”

  “No, you can’t.” Nathan shook his head. Team Gossip had drained all energy from him, and he no longer tried to explain why they couldn’t join him anywhere.

  “Joshua doesn’t let us go to the police station anymore,” Flora explained to me. All four of them knew that his real name was Douglas, but they weren’t going to start calling him by his name now, were they? It was more fun to annoy him and make them hate him.

  “What a rude and ungrateful man,” Aunt Agnes complained. “I can’t understand his attitude. His father is such a wonderful person.”

  “And Raymond wouldn’t kick us out of anywhere,” Ivy said.

  Lord James barked in agreement and ran around them. Then, he quickly approached a tall lamppost and raised his leg beside it.

  Team Gossip gasped and ran after him.

  “No, no, Lord James!” Ivy said.

  “Wait until we get to a garden!” Flora said.

  Nathan and I exchanged glances and used the diversion to disappear and avoid being chased by Team Gossip. We’d have to talk about the crime and about our jogging habits some other time.

  If Nathan was my mystery jogger, was he the perfect man for me?

  What was I thinking? My family business was at stake, and two crimes had taken place at the resort. I didn’t have time for this.

  Chapter 46

  I spent the following days thinking about Vincent. Why had he disappeared if he wasn’t linked to the crime? And what did he get if Brittany died? I’d dated him and I should’ve been able to notice somethin
g in his behavior, but I’d been blind. Still, the police weren’t going to find him unless I remembered something about him. Something that pointed us in his direction.

  After reading all his e-mails, texts, and letters, I didn’t see much information. He was always talking about work and his busy schedule. His lies probably meant that he had things to do with Brittany, and I’d been silly enough to believe him.

  Vincent had mentioned visiting his parents in one of his e-mails and said that they owned a small house about three hours away from Corton. It was in the middle of nowhere, near a small forest and away from civilization. He’d even sent me a couple of pictures with his message. He’d described how to get to the house a couple of times. Perhaps I could talk to his parents to see what they knew about their son. Vincent’s father had heart problems, so sending the police wasn’t an option in case he got too worried.

  The police would only trouble the old couple who could be unaware of their son’s ambitions. I’d talked to them once and they’d been normal and hardworking people. It would be best for everyone to talk to them privately and to keep them out of the investigation.

  Nathan would hate my decision, but it wasn’t fair for Vincent’s parents to talk to him. I’d tell Nathan if I learned anything useful. If not, there was no point in making anyone answer the police’s questions.

  I double-checked the address and asked Google to give me detailed directions to get there. Once I’d printed out the directions, I took a coat and my keys and left the house.

  I was unlucky enough to leave the house when Team Gossip was gathered in their gardens.

  “Hi Meghan!” Flora said.

  The others greeted me too and quickly came to my garden. They noticed my coat and my keys and scanned the directions on my hand.

  “You look very energetic today,” Aunt Agnes said.