Ron and Iona shot me a knowing look. Tina gave me a nervous glance. About the only one I didn’t have a secret with was Ava. She was looking around with a twinkle in her eye as if she was onto the fact that there were questionable goings on at the guesthouse.
‘I have a nice surprise for everyone,’ I announced, after I’d laid the food out and they were milling about the buffet table making their selections. I held up the coupons. ‘The Marinara Mariner has offered a wonderful 50 percent discount on dinner between 7 and 9 tonight for guests of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse only.’
‘The food there is wonderful,’ Ron said.
‘That’s a good deal,’ Iona added.
‘Marinara gives me heartburn.’ Ava squinted at the coupon.
‘I’ve never heard of the place, is it good?’ Tina’s demeanor dripped with faux innocence but her sideways glance told me that Tony had already alerted her to my blackmail demand.
‘Yes and since Josie has to go out of town tonight, it will be good for you all to have a night out. The guesthouse will be unlocked for you when you get back,’ Millie said.
Ava’s eyes narrowed. ‘So, would the last person in lock the front door, then?’
That stumped me.‘Err… that’s not necessary. It’s not like someone is going to break in and steal things. Very low crime here.’ Except for the recent murder. ‘And of course your individual rooms are locked, so no one can go in there.’
Ava studied me for a few beats then nodded.‘Okay then. Sounds good. I do have a hankering for garlic bread.’
With breakfast served and the dirty deed done, I headed back to the kitchen with Mom and Millie. I didn’t have time to waste. I had to get to the post office during peak gossip hours in time to let the news that the guesthouse would be empty and unlocked make its way to the killer.
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The post office was always the most crowded at 11 a.m., so I timed it to get there then. I wanted to maximize the amount of people who overheard me to ensure the rumor got spread around quickly. I knew that Stella liked to keep track of everything that went on around town, so I was positive it would get back to her.
‘Hey Josie,’ Jen looked over at me as she wrestled Priority Mail tape onto a ginormous package that little old gray-haired Lottie Cox had hefted onto the counter.
‘Hi Jen! I just stopped by to say goodbye before my trip tonight.’
‘You’re going on a trip?’
‘Just overnight. Be back in the morning.’
‘Umm… okay.’ She put the last of the tape on the package and punched something into the postal machine, then turned to Lottie ‘That will be $23.21.’
‘$23.31!’ Lottie clutched her purse against her chest. ‘Highway robbery!’
‘Sorry Lottie, but I don’t set the prices. I could send it regular mail?’
Lottie’s lips pursed. ‘How long would that take?’
Jen consulted the screen in front of her.‘Seven days.’
‘Forget it.’ Lottie creaked open her purse and counted out the money. ‘Darn government is getting greedy.’
While Jen completed the transaction, I continued,‘Yeah, so my guests are eating at the Mariner tonight. Tony has a special coupon just for the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. Isn’t that nice?’
Jen’s left brow quirked up at the mention of Tony. ‘All the guests?’
I hadn’t yet filled her in on the fact that I’d discovered the Weatherby’s true identity and our plan to dupe Stella into revealing herself as the killer. ‘Yep. And it’s a shame I have to go away too because I may have found an important clue as to the identity of the person who killed Charles Prescott.’
The hubbub of conversation among the post office customers stopped.
‘A clue? Like what?’ Jen asked.
‘I can’t really say, but the police are meeting me tomorrow morning to take it. I’d do it tonight but already had the plans to go away.’
‘Right. Plans. So, I guess the guesthouse will be empty?’ Jen said loudly. She’d been a quick study in high school and apparently that hadn’t changed. She must have caught on to my intentions.
‘Yep, exactly.’ I winked to thank her.
‘Did you have something to mail?’ She asked, because I was standing there holding up the line.
‘Huh? Oh no… Ummm… Just came to check my post office box. You know because I’m going out of town tonight.’ I made a big show of going over to the post office box. I tried to keep the smile off my face as I heard people mumbling about the big clue and the guesthouse, how I was going out oftown and how it wasn’t fair that Tony Murano had given a special coupon to only my guests.
The box was full of fliers, so I tugged them out and went over to dump them in the bin that the post office kept against the wall for such things. My way was blocked by Mike Sullivan. Arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed. He looked suspicious. Probably that Navy investigator training.
‘What’s this about you going out of town, Sunshine? Aunt Millie didn’t mention that,’ he said.
‘I don’t usually apprise Millie of my itinerary and if I did, she wouldn’t tell you because it would be none of your business.’ I dumped the fliers in the bin and headed for the door.
He followed me, holding the door open as I swept out into the street.‘I think you’re bluffing. Tell me what you’re up to.’
I stopped on the sidewalk and looked back at him, using my most innocent expression.‘Honestly Mike I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
Mew! Meow!
Nero and Marlowe appeared at my feet. How did they get into town so fast? They ran over to Mike, circling around his ankles and purring. He bent down to pet them.
‘Josie, I don’t mean to be nosey, but this could be dangerous.’ He stood, towering over me, which is no easy task because I’m five-foot-seven. ‘I just don’t want you to get hurt.’
Meroo!
Apparently Nero agreed with him.
‘Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.’ I turned to walk toward my car, but he latched onto my elbow, holding it gently but swinging me around to face him. My arm tingled, my heart fluttered, but my brain got annoyed with his insistence.
‘Josie, I think I know who the killer is. I was with Internal Affairs in the Navy and have experience with this sort of thing. Leave it to me.’ His face showed only concern, not ego or pushiness, but I wasn’t going to leave it to him. For one, I doubted he was going to nail his old high school sweetheart and for two it was important for me to prove that I could do this. Plus, I had it all planned out with the Weatherbys and what could possibly go wrong?
I extracted my elbow gently.‘I think I know who it is too and the wheels are already set in motion. And besides, I’m not stupid and I’m not a kid anymore. I think I can solve this without your help.’
Twenty-One
Despite the confidence I’d had about catching the killer when I’d talked to Mike outside the post office, I was jittery as a chihuahua in winter. I was half afraid he’d stick around the guesthouse, as I knew he suspected I was up to something. But he must have believed my story about going away. He finished up work and bid me farewell at four, asking about my flight. I told him I was taking a train just in case he had designs on checking up on me at the airport. I had a twinge of guilt as I watched him drive off. He’d acted a little cool all afternoon and I hoped I hadn’t been too harsh with him outside the post office.
At 6:30, Ron and Iona got the ball rolling by ushering everyone to the Marinara Mariner. Their plan was to get seated with all the others, then Ron would excuse himself to the bathroom and double back. He wanted to be here to make the arrest.
We figured the killer would come in the front door and head straight down the hall to the West wing. They wouldn’t try the window for fear it would be locked, and why bother when they knew the front door would be unlocked and no one home? I turned off the lights and Ron and I crouched in the pitch-black doorway to the butler’s pantry and waited.