Murder in partway cove, p.14
Murder in Partway Cove, page 14
Back inside, she stood at the window, looking toward the woods. Why would a person be out there at night? Or any time? It was unsettling.
This is not turning out to be a good day! I'll see if Rose wants to go out for lunch.
Rose was happy to agree, and they arranged to meet at the diner.
ROSE WAS ALREADY SEATED and chatting with Rhonda when Kate arrived. Only two other tables were occupied. An older couple had one table by the window; the other by a solitary man, who looked up as Kate came in. Kate recognised him as the walker on the beach.
"Slow today?" Kate asked.
"Mondays are usually slow. It'll pick up a bit, but we're never full," Rhonda replied. "I hear you had a bear visitor. That's a bit close."
"Yes, and now someone else. Last night, Maggie alerted me again that something was out there. I assumed it was the bear again and didn't open the door. But this morning I found a fresh footprint in the garden."
Both women exclaimed. Rose asked, "You mean a person's footprint?"
Kate nodded. "Definitely. And quite a big one. I'm assuming it's a man."
"But why?"
"Good question. That's what I've been asking myself. I don't know many men here, and I don't know why anyone would want to be creeping around the back garden in the cold and dark. I'm worried."
She glanced over at the solitary man. “Who is that man sitting by himself?”
“He’s been around for a couple of days. I don’t know his name. Why?”
“Just curious. I passed him on the beach on Saturday.”
The doorbell tinkled as a couple of truckers came in.
"Sit wherever you like," Rhonda called out. Then to Rose and Kate, she said, "I'll go get them settled while you decide what you want. I'll bring coffee."
Rose said, "I don't blame you for worrying. The bear was one thing, but this is weird. And Kelli’s killer has not been found. Do you want to come and stay with me for a few days?"
"That's very kind. But I've got Maggie, and she's a good guard dog. Do we have a local policeman here?"
"No. We have to call 911, and they send someone over. Do you want to call them?"
"There's not much to go on. What can I tell them? That I have a feeling I'm being watched, that Maggie growls and barks, and there's a footprint. I don't think the police would think it worth their time. They'd just think I was another foolish female with too much imagination."
Rose added cream to her coffee. "You're probably right, but I don't think that way. The bear is one thing—it does happen occasionally, and as long as it isn't fed or encouraged, it usually wanders off. But someone in your garden at night—that's creepy."
"I'm assuming at night, because that's when Maggie reacted, but I guess it could have been during the day while we were out."
"But her behaviour at night?"
Kate shrugged. "The bear again?"
"Seriously, Kate, be careful."
"Believe me, I will be."
Rhonda brought their coffees. "Ladies, what would you like?"
"Burger and fries for me," Rose said.
"Sounds perfect. Same for me."
"I'll join you with a coffee once I've served those guys."
Kate watched Rhonda as she served the two men. She had a friendly way about her that attracted people. She saw the truckers say something, and Rhonda replied with something that made them laugh.
Rose had followed Kate's glance. "She's great with people, but she won't take any nonsense from the men. I think they respect that."
The older couple waved to Rhonda, making a gesture, a request for their bill. As she passed by the solitary man, he raised his coffee cup for a refill. Kate watched as Rhonda bustled about, fulfilling all the customers’ requests.
"She’s a good waitress. Rose, what if Marty is the killer? Rhonda will be devastated. She really believes he's innocent."
"Well, the police haven't arrested him again. Let's hope that's a good sign."
"But who else could it be?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if it's no-one we know. Someone else Kelli got involved with, maybe in Halifax, maybe at the club?"
"Could be. Ah, here comes Rhonda with our burgers."
"Here you go, ladies. I'm just going to grab myself a coffee."
Rhonda returned and pulled up a chair. "Those guys are fine for a few minutes. I told them just to holler when they want anything."
Rose said, "Just wondering about who killed Kelli. Maybe someone we don't even know about."
"I hope so. I want this to be over. You know I worry about Marty."
Kate said, "I just had an uncomfortable thought. If the killer is from here, could it be him that was in my garden?"
Rose and Rhonda stared at her. Rhonda said, "You mean, like a serial killer?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't know, but the possibility doesn't make me happy. Who was in my garden and why?"
"You definitely should come and stay with me," Rose said.
"I'll see if it happens again. Don't forget, I've got Maggie, and she's big and very protective of me."
Chapter 28
That night, Kate drew the curtains and picked up her book, but put it down on her lap. Despite her brave words at lunch, she was nervous. She looked over at Maggie, who was sleeping at her feet. As long as she's not worried, I shouldn't be. That didn't help. Maybe I'll watch something on TV instead.
She made a mug of tea and flicked on the TV set. Nothing caught her eye until she came across an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. She was enjoying the plot when Maggie growled and got to her feet, staring at the back door.
Not again! This is too much. What should I do?
Suddenly someone yelled. Kate pulled the curtains back. There was enough moonlight to see a human figure confronting the bear. The bear stood there, looking at the yelling man. Kate opened the window and said, "You should leave, very slowly."
"Let me in."
"No. Who are you, and why are you here, prowling around at night?"
"Let me in, please."
"No, and I'm calling the police. You can explain yourself to them if the bear doesn't get you."
"I'll tell you if you let me in."
Kate looked at the bear, who was watching the man, but still not moving. "Tell me first who you are and why you're here."
"I'm a private investigator. Your husband hired me."
"Why?"
"For god's sake, just let me in. I'll tell you."
"Alright. Move slowly toward the door. When you knock, I'll let you in. Be warned, I have a large dog."
“I know.”
She closed the window, leashed Maggie, and waited. She heard some shuffling noises and then a quick knock. "Okay, you can come in," she shouted.
The man hurried in and slammed the door shut. Maggie growled and fixed her eyes on him. He stood still, watching the dog. Kate looked at him: a short, middle-aged man dressed all in black. It was the man she had seen at the beach and again at the diner.
“Stay where you are. I’ve seen you before, the last couple of days. What the hell is going on?”
"Like I said, your husband hired me to watch you."
"Why?"
"He wants to know if you're having an affair with anyone. As far as I can see, you aren't."
Kate gritted her teeth. "That jerk! You're right, I'm not, and even if I were, it's none of his business."
The man nodded, still carefully watching Maggie, who continued to growl softly, with her hackles up.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going back to Halifax as fast as I can. I’m quitting this assignment."
"Good call. Now move toward the front door and let yourself out. If you come back again, I will call the police."
"No fear. I'm outta here. I didn't sign up for bears and guard dogs."
KATE FUMED. GLEN HAD gone too far this time. She picked up her phone, went into the mail app and typed:
Glen, your hired watchdog is heading back to Halifax. How dare you spy on me! My lawyer is in the process of responding to yours, and I will talk to him tomorrow about this episode. By the way, I know you are trying to enter politics. Wouldn't this make interesting information for whichever party you are trying to join? I don't know what your motivation is, and I don't care. We're through. Get on with your life and leave me to get on with mine.
Then she blocked him.
IN THE MORNING, KATE texted Rose and Rhonda, briefly telling them about her confrontation with Glen's hired investigator: He’s gone now and won’t be back.
Rose texted back: Now all you have to worry about is the bear. And added a smiley face emoji.
Kate smiled at that and then called Mr. Duthie and told him what had happened. "I sent an email to Glen, which I hope will convince him to take me seriously."
"Now we wait for some word from his lawyer," Mr. Duthie said. "I can't do anything more until then."
With that, and despite the probable continuance of the bear visits, Kate's spirits lifted.
"Come on, Maggie. We're going for a long beach walk."
The beach was deserted. While the sun shone, it was cold and windy, and there were clouds piling up. Kate wondered if snow was coming. It felt like it.
They walked for an hour before turning back. On the outward leg, Maggie had bounded ahead, stopping occasionally to check on Kate, but now, as they headed back, she fell into step with Kate.
The long walk gave Kate time for thinking, and her mind, freed from the worry of the nighttime lurker, turned to other things. Christmas with her parents was now a problem because of her animals. She didn't want to fly with them, and originally she planned to drive. It would take several days to cover the 3000 or so kilometres, which would be fine in a warmer season, but the weather could be problematic. She could end up stranded in a bad storm. I think I'd better cancel the trip. I'll call them when I get home. Which means I should let Nellie know that I will keep the house through December at least.
She left the beach and passed Barney's, which made her think of Rhonda and Marty, and the unsolved (as yet) murder of his wife. The police either aren't making progress or they're just not making anything public. I wonder if anyone answered their call for persons who had seen Kelli on those two days?
She mentally shrugged. Not my business. I'd best be making plans for myself. This has been a good break, but it can't go on indefinitely. Do I go back to Toronto? I don't want to. I like it here, but there's no way for me to earn a living here in the village. Maybe try Halifax?
By now, they had reached her street. She could see Rose knocking on her door, and hurried to meet her.
"Hi there."
"Oh good. I called a couple of times, but you didn't answer. I thought I'd better check you were okay."
"You're so thoughtful, Rose! We just went for an extra-long walk and I didn't take my phone with me. Come on in for a coffee?"
"Glad to. It's cold today. Feels like winter setting in."
Kate made the coffee and handed a mug to Rose. "Already fixed. I know how you like it. Why were you worried?"
"Oh, you know... the man, maybe he hasn't gone, and the bear."
"I really think he's gone. He was not happy facing first the bear and then Maggie. I think he thought the job was going to be straightforward and was not happy with how it turned out. I hope he charges Glen extra! As for the bear, I'll just ignore it and won't let Maggie out back until I'm sure it has moved on. There's nothing for it to eat out there. Actually, I'm rather grateful to it. It flushed out Glen's spy."
Rose laughed. "Well, that's looking on the bright side!"
"Now that little mystery is out of the way, I've got to make some decisions. I've just been going day-to-day, and while I've enjoyed my time away from Toronto and all I left behind, I have to figure out what to do next."
"Will you go back?"
"I don't want to. I have some good friends there, but it also unhappy memories. But I don't see how I can stay here. My skills aren't of any use to Partway Cove. I'm an IT project manager, and that usually means working for companies that are located in cities."
"Halifax?"
"That's a possibility. Marty told me once that he might have work for me, but I can't pursue that now until Kelli's murder is cleared up."
"I think you should stay here," Rose said firmly. "Rhonda and I love having you here."
"Aw, that's sweet. I don't know... maybe I could get a job in Halifax and come back here on weekends. Or work from home some days. Something like that. Aside from Marty, I don't have any connections in Nova Scotia. I'll start looking online, and I'll ask my Toronto friends if they have any connections here. The point is, I've got to make a start and try to get something in place for the new year."
"Changing the subject, when are you going to Florida?"
"That's another thing. I would need to drive because of Maggie and Percy, and the weather can be tricky around Christmas. I'm going to call my parents later and tell them I won't be coming. I'm disappointed and they will be, too, but I don't want to be stranded in a bad storm somewhere."
"You can have Christmas with us!"
"That's lovely, thank you. Will it be a white Christmas, do you think?"
"Sometimes we have one, but no guarantees. Well, I'd best get back home."
"Thanks for coming, Rose. It was good of you to worry about me."
After Rose left, Kate called her parents and told them of her decision. They were on speaker so she could hear them both.
"We were looking forward to spending Christmas together," her mom said.
Her dad quickly added, "But you're right to worry about the weather. The winter storms are getting unpredictable and more severe every year, it feels like."
They chatted for a few minutes. After the call, Kate felt she had let them down. I suppose I could board Percy and Maggie in a kennel and fly down, but I would hate to do that.
An hour later, her phone sounded with her dad's id.
"Kate, if you can't come to us, we're going to come to you."
"What! That would be wonderful!"
"Can you book us into a local hotel? We understand you've only got a tiny place."
"No hotel here, but I'm sure my friend Rose can accommodate you. She has a charming B&B where I stayed when I first came here. She's a lovely person."
"Perfect. I'll look into booking our flight to Halifax and let you know the dates."
"We're really looking forward to it," her mom said. "I haven't been to Nova Scotia before, although your dad has."
Kate phoned Rose. "My parents are coming here for Christmas. I know you told me you usually have guests for the holidays. Are you all booked up?"
"That's great! And you're in luck. I have one room left and I'll reserve it for them."
"You're a dear. Thanks!"
Chapter 29
The next couple of days passed quietly. On those evenings, Maggie signalled a presence outside. Kate assumed it was the bear and kept calm. Maggie took the cue from her and settled, but remained alert. The following mornings Kate checked but found only bear-sized indentations in the lawn. On Thursday morning, there were no new signs. She hoped the bear had gone on its way.
Kate's dad sent her their travel dates, and Rose confirmed she could accommodate them. Nellie was happy to extend the house rental until the end of January. There was no news about Kelli's murder. It had subsided as a village topic, and Kate thought the only person still thinking about it was Rhonda. She hadn't spoken to Rhonda in some days, so invited her and Rose to come over on Tuesday evening.
Kate turned her thoughts to Christmas. She planned to go to Halifax to shop for gifts the next day. She didn't need to buy much. She and her Toronto friends had agreed to stop exchanging Christmas presents a couple of years ago. As Susan put it, "We all are doing okay and have too much stuff already." But here in Partway Cove, Kate wanted to have gifts for her two friends and her parents.
In the afternoon, Mr. Duthie called to say that Glen's lawyer had replied, and that she should come in to discuss the terms. They settled on a 2 pm meeting on Monday.
"Nothing to worry about," he said. "Just the details to iron out."
Somewhat relieved, but wondering what the details might be, Kate decided to move her shopping plans to Monday, after her meeting with Mr. Duthie. She picked up books to return to the library and put on her jacket. Maggie got to her feet.
"Sorry, girl, you're not allowed in the library. We'll go out after I get back."
Maggie seemed to get the message. She lay down again, but kept her eyes on Kate, hoping for a change of plans.
Daisy, the younger McColl sister, was at the desk this afternoon. She smiled and said, "You're our best customer. Is the bear still around?
Kate was not surprised that the news had circulated. "It's gone, I think. Maggie didn’t alert me last night."
"And the man?"
"He's gone, too."
"So much excitement! First, Martin's wife's murder, and then your visitors and the bear."
"I'd be happy if none of it had happened!"
Daisy nodded. "But we can't choose what happens to us, can we? It's a shame about Martin's wife, but she was far too young and flighty for him."
"Did you know her?"
"Not really. Martin came here after they married and introduced her. She wasn't interested in us or the library. She said reading was boring. I didn't take to her."
"It seems she wasn't popular in Partway Cove."
"Justifiably so," said Violet, appearing from another room. " I'm afraid Martin succumbed to loneliness after his first wife died, and the girl was attractive, I must admit. A nasty end, though."
"It was." Wanting to change the subject, Kate said, "Here are my returns. I'll go to select a couple more."
Both sisters were waiting for her when she came back through with her choices.
Daisy busied herself checking them out, but Violet said, "Forgive my impertinence, but I heard that you are going to leave soon."
"I was planning on visiting my parents over Christmas, but now they are coming here instead. Why?"
