Read Online Clammed Up by Barbara Ross - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Ross
Tags: Mystery
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impossible. It would require two killers. Maybe three. Gangs of marauding murders on Morrow Island? It was too terrible to think about. “You should check Westclaw Point for the boat. There’s a little inlet almost directly across from the island.” That’s where the inflatable balls, tubes, and rafts Livvie and I lost off our little beach when we were children always ended up. Eventually. “Did anyone report a boat stolen?”
“No, but it’s early in the season. Lots of people aren’t here yet. We’re checking as best we can, but it will take time. The killer could have gone to the island in his own boat.” Binder shifted forward in his seat and put his hands on his knees. “We do have some news. The crime scene team is done on your island. You can open tomorrow.”
I practically jumped out of my seat. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?” My mind raced forward. I had to let the staff know, buy the food, check the boat.
“Because we knew the moment we told you, you wouldn’t be able to pay attention to anything else.” He smiled his crinkly-eyed smile. “You can use the island for your clambakes, but please, keep everybody out of the mansion. We have it secured. Windsholme is still an active crime scene.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. I’m just so relieved. So you think the murder happening on the island was just random? Why was his body left there?”
“Think about it,” Lieutenant Binder said. “Seeing that body had a powerful effect on more than just you.”
Michaela. Of course. How could I have been so self-absorbed? She was the most hurt by seeing Ray hanging at Windsholme on her wedding day. And the maid of honor had dropped those not so subtle hints that Michaela and Ray were close. Too close. That could explain why Ray’s body was left for Michaela to find.
“Thank you, Lieutenant for telling me this. It’s a huge relief.” It all made so much more sense. Tony and Ray were from Bath. Ray’s body was hung up at Windsholme to send a message to Michaela on her wedding day. It was an unspeakably awful thing to do and I couldn’t imagine why anyone had done it. But it had nothing to do with us.
“Thank you, so so much. You don’t know what this means.”
Binder grinned. “Oh, I think we do. Your friend, young Officer Dawes made sure we did.”
Sonny and I stood on the porch and watched the retreating backs of Binder and Flynn as they walked down the hill.
“Did you hear all that?”
“Most of it. Seems like they’re looking at Ray Wilson’s life.”
“And Michaela’s.” My eyes fell on a thick newspaper, neatly folded, sitting on a side table. “What’s that?”
“I forgot to tell you. Quentin Tupper III dropped it off for you. Said he was driving back to New York tonight and didn’t want to ‘schlep’ it. He said he thought you’d appreciate it.”
Quentin Tupper from Gus’s this morning? It seemed like an odd thing to do. He didn’t know where I lived. I hadn’t even told him my last name. Of course, he could have asked pretty much anyone in town. Lots of people knew who I was and everybody knew the Snowden house.
Nothing sounded better than curling up on the porch swing with the Sunday New York Times . But I had a lot of work to get done if we were putting on a clambake tomorrow.
Chapter 14
I worked at my desk well into the evening to make sure everything was set for the clambake the next day. The sounds of Mom banging around in the kitchen traveled up the back stairs.
“Come down and eat,” she called.
“Eat what?” I tried to keep the suspicion out of my voice. I realized I hadn’t eaten since my early breakfast at Gus’s.
“Leftover mac and cheese.”
Thank goodness. Not something my mother had concocted. I felt terrible that I hated my own mother’s cooking, but there it was. I knew it wasn’t her fault. Goodness knows, she had tried.
Her mother died when she was young and Mom grew up in an all male household that included her
“No, but it’s early in the season. Lots of people aren’t here yet. We’re checking as best we can, but it will take time. The killer could have gone to the island in his own boat.” Binder shifted forward in his seat and put his hands on his knees. “We do have some news. The crime scene team is done on your island. You can open tomorrow.”
I practically jumped out of my seat. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?” My mind raced forward. I had to let the staff know, buy the food, check the boat.
“Because we knew the moment we told you, you wouldn’t be able to pay attention to anything else.” He smiled his crinkly-eyed smile. “You can use the island for your clambakes, but please, keep everybody out of the mansion. We have it secured. Windsholme is still an active crime scene.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. I’m just so relieved. So you think the murder happening on the island was just random? Why was his body left there?”
“Think about it,” Lieutenant Binder said. “Seeing that body had a powerful effect on more than just you.”
Michaela. Of course. How could I have been so self-absorbed? She was the most hurt by seeing Ray hanging at Windsholme on her wedding day. And the maid of honor had dropped those not so subtle hints that Michaela and Ray were close. Too close. That could explain why Ray’s body was left for Michaela to find.
“Thank you, Lieutenant for telling me this. It’s a huge relief.” It all made so much more sense. Tony and Ray were from Bath. Ray’s body was hung up at Windsholme to send a message to Michaela on her wedding day. It was an unspeakably awful thing to do and I couldn’t imagine why anyone had done it. But it had nothing to do with us.
“Thank you, so so much. You don’t know what this means.”
Binder grinned. “Oh, I think we do. Your friend, young Officer Dawes made sure we did.”
Sonny and I stood on the porch and watched the retreating backs of Binder and Flynn as they walked down the hill.
“Did you hear all that?”
“Most of it. Seems like they’re looking at Ray Wilson’s life.”
“And Michaela’s.” My eyes fell on a thick newspaper, neatly folded, sitting on a side table. “What’s that?”
“I forgot to tell you. Quentin Tupper III dropped it off for you. Said he was driving back to New York tonight and didn’t want to ‘schlep’ it. He said he thought you’d appreciate it.”
Quentin Tupper from Gus’s this morning? It seemed like an odd thing to do. He didn’t know where I lived. I hadn’t even told him my last name. Of course, he could have asked pretty much anyone in town. Lots of people knew who I was and everybody knew the Snowden house.
Nothing sounded better than curling up on the porch swing with the Sunday New York Times . But I had a lot of work to get done if we were putting on a clambake tomorrow.
Chapter 14
I worked at my desk well into the evening to make sure everything was set for the clambake the next day. The sounds of Mom banging around in the kitchen traveled up the back stairs.
“Come down and eat,” she called.
“Eat what?” I tried to keep the suspicion out of my voice. I realized I hadn’t eaten since my early breakfast at Gus’s.
“Leftover mac and cheese.”
Thank goodness. Not something my mother had concocted. I felt terrible that I hated my own mother’s cooking, but there it was. I knew it wasn’t her fault. Goodness knows, she had tried.
Her mother died when she was young and Mom grew up in an all male household that included her
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