Read Online The Haunted Beach (Tropical Breeze Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Mary Bowers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mary Bowers
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middle of the night –“ He shook his head.
“I thought that house was similar to the one Frieda built for you and Dolores. Don’t you like your own house?”
“I’ve always hated it. It was a dirty trick Frieda played, giving us that thing as a wedding present. She never wanted her daughter to marry in the first place, and she didn’t like me. Giving us that house was her way of keeping us from escaping.”
“Why didn’t you just sell it?”
Ben smoldered. “When I say she gave it to us, I’m speaking figuratively. She built it and graciously offered to let us live in it, rent-free. A lavish mansion with an ocean view. By myself, I would have refused, but I had Dolores to consider, and Dolores loved it. And – God help her – she loved her mother. Her one act of defiance was to marry me, but she didn’t really have much defiance in her. When Frieda died, it reverted to us, but with Dolores in the state she’s in, I can’t think of moving her to someplace new.”
“There are some pretty luxurious assisted living facilities around here. Why not take her to one of them?”
“I’ve thought of that. I don’t know if I can get Dolores to go, but if this keeps up, I’m going to have to.”
After that, Ben kept himself hunched up in his chair, staring out to sea, and when he finished his beer he crushed the can, opened a small cooler and got out another one. Ed wondered just how much Ben had been drinking. That could explain how his wife kept slipping away from him. It didn’t appear that this was the first time Ben had come to the beach to wait for her, and he’d come well supplied.
At 1:00, Ed looked at his watch, stood up and looked down at Ben, saying, “It’s time.”
When he got no reaction, he prodded Ben’s shoulder and the older man woke up with a snort and started swearing.
“Ben,” Ed said patiently. “It’s 1:00. Dolores hasn’t come back. Let’s go look in Frieda’s house.”
“I’m ready, I’m ready,” Ben fretted. “I wasn’t asleep. I was just thinking.”
Ed didn’t argue. Instead, he walked out a few steps and took one last look up and down the beach.
“Nothing,” he said, coming back. “Let’s pack up and go.”
“I’m ready, I told you.” He picked up his chair to fold it and his can of beer fell out of the cup holder. “Damn it, Ed, stop rushing me. What the hell is that?” he said, straightening up suddenly.
“What? Do you see them?”
“I see somebody, and whoever it is, she’s got no business in that house.”
Ed stared at him, then turned to look in the same direction. “In Frieda’s house?”
“Damn right, in Frieda’s house.”
“Where? I don’t see anybody. Was it Dolores?” Ed asked Ben’s back, since the older man had dropped his chair in the sand and was already going up the steps to the walkover.
“No, that was not my wife,” Ben said fiercely.
“How do you know?”
Ben stopped so suddenly that Ed ran into him. “Because I know my own wife, and that wasn’t her.”
“You said ‘she.’ Was it a woman?”
“We’re gonna find out,” Ben said grimly. “And who the hell is this?” he asked, his voice rising.
Ed angled his head around Ben’s body to see what he was talking about. Then he exclaimed, “Taylor!”
Ben stopped suddenly again and turned around. “You brought your girlfriend?”
Ed straightened his glasses and stared up at the taller man without stepping back. “She is not my girlfriend.”
Ben tapped in the security code and Frieda’s garage door rose. The sound of the rising door was explosive in the quiet neighborhood, and the light coming out was blinding.
“Ha!” Ed said. He had watched Ben’s fingers and he was feeling smug again about figuring out the code. He let himself smile, but quickly got control of his face as Ben whipped around and stared at him.
Ben looked beyond Ed to Taylor, who was now revealed to be a tall, blond, green-eyed woman who was very attractive, for being
“I thought that house was similar to the one Frieda built for you and Dolores. Don’t you like your own house?”
“I’ve always hated it. It was a dirty trick Frieda played, giving us that thing as a wedding present. She never wanted her daughter to marry in the first place, and she didn’t like me. Giving us that house was her way of keeping us from escaping.”
“Why didn’t you just sell it?”
Ben smoldered. “When I say she gave it to us, I’m speaking figuratively. She built it and graciously offered to let us live in it, rent-free. A lavish mansion with an ocean view. By myself, I would have refused, but I had Dolores to consider, and Dolores loved it. And – God help her – she loved her mother. Her one act of defiance was to marry me, but she didn’t really have much defiance in her. When Frieda died, it reverted to us, but with Dolores in the state she’s in, I can’t think of moving her to someplace new.”
“There are some pretty luxurious assisted living facilities around here. Why not take her to one of them?”
“I’ve thought of that. I don’t know if I can get Dolores to go, but if this keeps up, I’m going to have to.”
After that, Ben kept himself hunched up in his chair, staring out to sea, and when he finished his beer he crushed the can, opened a small cooler and got out another one. Ed wondered just how much Ben had been drinking. That could explain how his wife kept slipping away from him. It didn’t appear that this was the first time Ben had come to the beach to wait for her, and he’d come well supplied.
At 1:00, Ed looked at his watch, stood up and looked down at Ben, saying, “It’s time.”
When he got no reaction, he prodded Ben’s shoulder and the older man woke up with a snort and started swearing.
“Ben,” Ed said patiently. “It’s 1:00. Dolores hasn’t come back. Let’s go look in Frieda’s house.”
“I’m ready, I’m ready,” Ben fretted. “I wasn’t asleep. I was just thinking.”
Ed didn’t argue. Instead, he walked out a few steps and took one last look up and down the beach.
“Nothing,” he said, coming back. “Let’s pack up and go.”
“I’m ready, I told you.” He picked up his chair to fold it and his can of beer fell out of the cup holder. “Damn it, Ed, stop rushing me. What the hell is that?” he said, straightening up suddenly.
“What? Do you see them?”
“I see somebody, and whoever it is, she’s got no business in that house.”
Ed stared at him, then turned to look in the same direction. “In Frieda’s house?”
“Damn right, in Frieda’s house.”
“Where? I don’t see anybody. Was it Dolores?” Ed asked Ben’s back, since the older man had dropped his chair in the sand and was already going up the steps to the walkover.
“No, that was not my wife,” Ben said fiercely.
“How do you know?”
Ben stopped so suddenly that Ed ran into him. “Because I know my own wife, and that wasn’t her.”
“You said ‘she.’ Was it a woman?”
“We’re gonna find out,” Ben said grimly. “And who the hell is this?” he asked, his voice rising.
Ed angled his head around Ben’s body to see what he was talking about. Then he exclaimed, “Taylor!”
Ben stopped suddenly again and turned around. “You brought your girlfriend?”
Ed straightened his glasses and stared up at the taller man without stepping back. “She is not my girlfriend.”
Ben tapped in the security code and Frieda’s garage door rose. The sound of the rising door was explosive in the quiet neighborhood, and the light coming out was blinding.
“Ha!” Ed said. He had watched Ben’s fingers and he was feeling smug again about figuring out the code. He let himself smile, but quickly got control of his face as Ben whipped around and stared at him.
Ben looked beyond Ed to Taylor, who was now revealed to be a tall, blond, green-eyed woman who was very attractive, for being
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