The Haunted Beach (Tropical Breeze Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Mary Bowers Page B
Authors: Mary Bowers
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eyes. Then he muttered, “It’s complicated.”
Ed had been in Willa Garden’s house before, but not on a regular basis. Like Claire Ford’s house directly across the street, the main floor was the second floor, where there was a view of the ocean over the dune. They went in a side door and came up the stairs into the kitchen.
There was something charmingly old-fashioned about Willa’s house. The kitchen phone was an old wall model. She had a cell phone, Ed knew, but she used it so seldom the battery was always dead.
They sat down at a round table beyond the kitchen, and once the men were seated, Willa went into the kitchen and got her drip coffeemaker going.
Ed noticed her looking their way, then glancing beyond them. When he turned for a look he realized he could see straight through the balcony doors into Claire Ford’s living room.
“Who found Dolores?” Parker asked. “Daniel? He’s always running on the beach.”
“As a matter of fact, it was Claire,” Willa told him, setting up cups and saucers. “She said she couldn’t sleep and decided to go out and watch the sunrise. Dolores was a block south, lying close to the water.”
“When Dan came out for his morning run, he heard Claire screaming,” Rod said, picking up the narrative. “He called 911. Claire hadn’t brought her cell phone.” He looked through the balcony doors and added, “He took her inside her house to settle her down. I think he’s still over there.”
“He is,” Willa said without looking.
“She must have been in a terrible state,” Parker said. He accepted a cup of coffee and thanked Willa.
She set a basket of muffins on the table before she sat down, but nobody wanted to eat.
Nobody seemed to know what to say. Ed glanced uneasily at Willa, and Rod glanced across the street again. With the morning sun shining directly into Claire’s house, the room was plainly visible, but nobody was in it.
Suddenly, Parker stood up and said, “Omigod! What about Ben?”
“He’s okay,” Ed told him. “I was with him all night, looking for Dolores. When we finally gave up, I waited with him, hoping she’d come home on her own.”
“Why didn’t he call the police?” Parker asked.
Ed sipped his coffee, put the cup down in the saucer and stared into it. “Good question.”
Ed had forgotten all about Taylor, and was surprised to see her SUV still in his driveway when he came outside again. The solitary patrolman was still at the walkover, but he was sitting on the third step now. Willa had stopped Ed as he was leaving and given him a cold bottle of water to take down to him. The cop was so appreciative Ed wished he’d thought of it himself. He was careful to say it was from the lady in that house over there.
When Ed got home, Taylor and the two detectives were sitting in the breakfast nook. She threw a desperate look at him, and he said, “Just a minute,” as he dodged into his office and brought out the camera.
“It’s very expensive,” he said, handing it over. “Infrared.”
“Infrared?” Bruno looked at his partner with dismay. Infrared images taken at a distance were going to be useless. “Find a lot of ghosts with heat signatures, do you?”
Ed shrugged. “So much is unknown. We use every tool we have. Ordinary cameras don’t catch anything in the dark at all, and most of our investigations are conducted in the dark.”
“Naturally,” Bruno said without a trace of irony. He set the camera next to himself on the table. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of it.”
“When will I get it back?”
“As soon as possible.” Which wasn’t really an answer, but Ed had to be satisfied with it. He accepted a receipt and stared at it dismally before putting it on the kitchen counter.
“Ms. Verone, here, has been telling us all about you,” Carver said with a tiny smile.
“She has?” He stared hard at Taylor, trying to guess what she’d been telling them, but she just looked back at him
Ed had been in Willa Garden’s house before, but not on a regular basis. Like Claire Ford’s house directly across the street, the main floor was the second floor, where there was a view of the ocean over the dune. They went in a side door and came up the stairs into the kitchen.
There was something charmingly old-fashioned about Willa’s house. The kitchen phone was an old wall model. She had a cell phone, Ed knew, but she used it so seldom the battery was always dead.
They sat down at a round table beyond the kitchen, and once the men were seated, Willa went into the kitchen and got her drip coffeemaker going.
Ed noticed her looking their way, then glancing beyond them. When he turned for a look he realized he could see straight through the balcony doors into Claire Ford’s living room.
“Who found Dolores?” Parker asked. “Daniel? He’s always running on the beach.”
“As a matter of fact, it was Claire,” Willa told him, setting up cups and saucers. “She said she couldn’t sleep and decided to go out and watch the sunrise. Dolores was a block south, lying close to the water.”
“When Dan came out for his morning run, he heard Claire screaming,” Rod said, picking up the narrative. “He called 911. Claire hadn’t brought her cell phone.” He looked through the balcony doors and added, “He took her inside her house to settle her down. I think he’s still over there.”
“He is,” Willa said without looking.
“She must have been in a terrible state,” Parker said. He accepted a cup of coffee and thanked Willa.
She set a basket of muffins on the table before she sat down, but nobody wanted to eat.
Nobody seemed to know what to say. Ed glanced uneasily at Willa, and Rod glanced across the street again. With the morning sun shining directly into Claire’s house, the room was plainly visible, but nobody was in it.
Suddenly, Parker stood up and said, “Omigod! What about Ben?”
“He’s okay,” Ed told him. “I was with him all night, looking for Dolores. When we finally gave up, I waited with him, hoping she’d come home on her own.”
“Why didn’t he call the police?” Parker asked.
Ed sipped his coffee, put the cup down in the saucer and stared into it. “Good question.”
Ed had forgotten all about Taylor, and was surprised to see her SUV still in his driveway when he came outside again. The solitary patrolman was still at the walkover, but he was sitting on the third step now. Willa had stopped Ed as he was leaving and given him a cold bottle of water to take down to him. The cop was so appreciative Ed wished he’d thought of it himself. He was careful to say it was from the lady in that house over there.
When Ed got home, Taylor and the two detectives were sitting in the breakfast nook. She threw a desperate look at him, and he said, “Just a minute,” as he dodged into his office and brought out the camera.
“It’s very expensive,” he said, handing it over. “Infrared.”
“Infrared?” Bruno looked at his partner with dismay. Infrared images taken at a distance were going to be useless. “Find a lot of ghosts with heat signatures, do you?”
Ed shrugged. “So much is unknown. We use every tool we have. Ordinary cameras don’t catch anything in the dark at all, and most of our investigations are conducted in the dark.”
“Naturally,” Bruno said without a trace of irony. He set the camera next to himself on the table. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of it.”
“When will I get it back?”
“As soon as possible.” Which wasn’t really an answer, but Ed had to be satisfied with it. He accepted a receipt and stared at it dismally before putting it on the kitchen counter.
“Ms. Verone, here, has been telling us all about you,” Carver said with a tiny smile.
“She has?” He stared hard at Taylor, trying to guess what she’d been telling them, but she just looked back at him
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