Citrus Beach Mystery: Box Set

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Traffic was light. It was after all summertime and substantial portions of Citrus Beach’s population were seasonal residents, only here for the cooler months of the year, so it took Paul about twenty minutes to pull into the driveway of his home. It had been a silent trip. Megan was going over everything in her head and Paul kept quiet to let her think. Turning off the engine, he nudged her in the arm to bring her back to reality.

“Let’s get you inside and get some food in your stomach. Lucy will have everything ready, and I know the two of you are going to want to talk this all over again.”

Megan smiled tiredly and opened her door, getting out to head up the walkway. She had only taken a few steps up the paved walk, when the door opened, and Lucy came rushing out to meet them. She gave Megan a warm hug and kissed her husband.

“Meg, are you okay? Come on. I’ve got a glass of wine poured. You can sit and relax a bit before we eat. Give yourself some down time before you talk about tonight. You look done in, sweetie.”

Lucy was showing unbelievable restraint. Normally the petite blond would have been pumping Megan for as much information as possible. She always seemed to have more energy than her 5’1” frame could hold, but with her charm and personality, no one ever seemed to find her pushy. Tonight, concern over her friend had taken precedence over her curiosity, and she guided Megan into the family room and pushed her onto the couch. As promised, glasses of wine were poured, and she handed one to each of them. Picking one up for herself, Lucy sat down on the couch next to Megan and waited.

Megan closed her eyes and sighed with relief to be away from all the craziness of the past few hours. She was grateful for the understanding and support of the two closest friends she had, but she was so tired. All she wanted was for things to be normal, even if for a little while.

Opening her eyes, she peered at Lucy and smiled as she wearily spoke to both.

“I know you have a lot of questions and want to know everything that’s been going on, but do you think we could wait until later? I just need to think about something else for a bit, even if it’s just dinner. I’m sorry to put you off, but... “

“Oh Meg, take all the time you need. Do you want to rest first, maybe a shower and a nap?”

“Thanks Lucy, I don’t want to be alone just yet. How about we just have dinner and then after we can go over everything? Maybe together we will think of something I might have missed that I can let the police know in the morning. I’m going to have to go home and feed the animals sometime tonight.”

“Don’t worry about them. I ran over while Paul was picking you up. The animals are all set for the night. I grabbed your pajamas and robe while I was there and some clothes for tomorrow. You are not going to be alone tonight for any reason. And if you don’t feel like talking until the morning, then that’s what’s gonna happen. It might take a lot of control on my part, but whatever you need, we’re here for you.”

Finishing her wine in one swallow, Megan got up and hugged her friend.

“There is no way you will last until the morning, Lucy. No matter how good your intentions are. But thanks anyway. I appreciate the thought. Now what’s on the dinner menu?” Megan’s laughter cut the tension in the air and the three of them headed into the kitchen where Lucy had set up a buffet of cold finger foods and a pot of hot soup. Realizing she was hungry, Megan filled her plate, noticing that most of her favorite snacks were out. Even though it was a warm night, the smell of hot soup made her stomach growl. Nothing could make you feel better than comfort food.

The three of them sat together at the wooden table in the kitchen’s breakfast nook and started to enjoy their dinner. After a few moments of the sounds of spoons hitting the sides of the soup bowls, Megan addressed Lucy.

“So how did the animals take being left alone? Poor Barney hates to be left behind. He would have been with me, except I knew I was meeting you two for dinner”

“That dog has you trained. When I got there, he was curled up with two of the cats on the bed and seemed very content. One of the mama cats was with her litter, but I’m not sure which one is which. There are just too many animals over there to keep track of. The puppy did try to come home with me, but no success on his part.”

They all laughed at the picture Lucy painted of animal bliss. Megan knew she did have a lot of pets, but to be fair not all of them were hers. Old Fred, a basset hound, was Emma’s dog that Paul had given her when she was about ten. He had stayed behind when she went to college. The two cats, Wilma and Betty, were Megan’s. She had adopted them when she moved into her new home and Barney the puppy (yes, they were named after the cartoon characters from the Flintstones, Emma’s favorite), was a gift from Emma to keep her mother protected since she was on her own. Megan thought Emma had gotten the puppy, a sweet little beagle, to keep Fred company, but she would never say that to her daughter. The additional cats that roamed her yard and home were ones that had been dropped off and left. Some were feral and never came into the house. Since Megan’s home and office were part of a large parcel of land with a few outbuildings, there was plenty of room for everyone. Megan had a firm rule that the wild cats were welcome, but had to be fixed first.

“You’d better watch it, Megan, or people are going to start calling you the cat lady. You know the kind, no husband, no kids, just all those cats to talk to,” Paul was quick to jump in to tease his cousin

“Ha-ha, Paul. When I find a man, who is smarter than any of those cats, then he’ll have my attention. So far, all those dates you two seem intent on having me thrown into have not brought forth any winners.”

They all laughed as each thought of some of the dates Megan had been on in the past few years. Lucy and Paul wanted her to enjoy the same marital bliss that they enjoyed. Megan didn’t mind being alone, but she had to admit to herself that she missed the companionship she had enjoyed with her husband and now saw her two closest friends basking in. There were times when she felt like the odd man out.

Tonight, was a perfect example. She would have loved to have someone to go home to that would help her feel safe and relieve some of the fears she knew she would have to face when she went to bed and turned off the light.

Continuing to keep the conversation light and away from the events of the past few hours, they finished their meal and straightened up the kitchen. After the last dish was dried and put away, Paul went outside to pull his car into the garage and to make sure the house was secure. Lucy gave Megan a quick hug and told her to go upstairs, take a long hot shower, and when she was done, they would all meet in the family room.

Megan dragged herself up the stairs and went down the short hallway to the guest room she often stayed in. Decorated in soft tans and creams, it was a comfortable room that made you feel welcome. Noticing her night clothes laid out on the bed, Megan grabbed them and walked into the adjoining bathroom. Stripping off her clothes, she turned the shower on as hot as she could stand and got in. Just standing there with the water washing over her, the tension in her muscles began to ease. Grabbing the shampoo, she washed her long hair and then stood there to let the water rinse out the suds. As she washed her body, she began to regain some of her energy, as if the water was renewing her. By the time she was done, the water was turning cold, but she did feel better and ready to talk to Lucy about what she had been through. Putting on her night clothes and grabbing her robe, she headed downstairs, still in her bare feet.

Entering the huge living room, she saw that someone had activated the gas fireplace, not for heat but solace. The room was comfortable and made a person feel like she could kick off her shoes and put her feet up. With Paul being a high-end builder, the details were used not only for form but function. The fireplace itself was double-sided with large glass doors. You could enjoy it from either the living room or the master bedroom. Even though it had lofty ceilings, the whole house was built to be as energy efficient as possible. The techno gadgets that he had incorporated into the home were the dream of anyone who loved those kinds of toys. Lucy had decorated the house to have a Florida Keys feel to it, soft peaches and whites with accents in turquoise. On the shelves were large conch shells that they had picked up themselves on their many trips to the beaches along the coast and the gulf. A beautiful hand-woven bamboo screen separated a corner of the room off from the rest. This was Lucy’s work corner. She created custom jewelry. Since she wasn’t the most organized person and always had three or four projects going at once, the screen was a perfect way to hide her messy work table.

Megan walked over to her favorite chair, a wicker swing, and settled into it. Putting one foot under her, she pushed off with the other, starting the swing to moving. Looking over towards the kitchen, she watched Lucy and Paul come into the room with a tray filled with glasses of iced tea and a plate of cookies. Placing the tray on the table, Lucy handed Megan a glass and sat on the couch closest to her. Grabbing a handful of the treats, Paul sat close beside her and turned to Megan.

“I filled Lucy in on the basics of what happened tonight, so you don’t have to go over it all again. Did you think of anything else since we left Carol’s home?”

“I keep going over it in my head. I just can’t get past that image of the body hitting the water. It’s as if time stood still. And it was so quiet. No wonder they heard the phone.”

“What do you mean? That’s the first time you mentioned the phone.”

“That stupid phone is what got me into this whole mess, Paul. This was my client emergency. Carol’s niece left her phone on the pool deck, and she needed me to find it for her. While I was standing there by the shore, it went off. I never heard a phone set so loud, and it played some obnoxious rap music that carried across the water. It was so loud, I almost dropped the phone when it went off. The men on the boat heard it too. That’s why they knew I was there watching them.”

“Do you still have the phone? You didn’t drop it where it could be found did you?” asked Lucy.

“No, I stuffed it in my pocket as I was running towards the house. It’s probably still there. I’d better remember to grab it before I throw my shorts in the dirty clothes hamper. That reminds me, has my phone gone off at all? I left a message for Carol to call me.”

“Not that I know of. Here check for yourself.” Reaching into her tote bag that was on the floor by the table, Paul grabbed her phone and tossed it to her.

Megan caught it and checked to see if there had been any incoming calls. Not finding any, she shrugged her shoulders.

“Nothing. Carol must be busy. She usually calls me right back.”

“What in the world were they doing along that part of the river?” Lucy asked Megan as she reached for another cookie.

“You know, that’s a valid point. There’s nothing there except private homes. Most small boats that go down that part of the river are residences anchoring to their dock. So, unless you are a homeowner or just doing some light fishing, there really is nothing to see. I mean their engine was off and they were just drifting.”

“Were they dressed for fishing? Did you see any equipment?”

“No, they all were in long pants and had polo shirts on, at least from what I could tell.”

“Well, they were sure not out there for sport or relaxation dressed like that. In this heat, they couldn’t have been out there long either.”

“You’re right, Paul. They must have put into the water off the causeways and motored down to the mouth of that part of the river, but why? Like Megan said, there is nothing down there except private homes.”

“Private homes and that one section of the wildlife reserve that brushes up against that part of the river,” added Paul.

“Do you think it could have been a drug deal gone wrong? You know you hear about drugs coming up to our area from down south. Maybe these were some dealers trying to meet up with a local source.”

“I don’t know, Lucy. This seems like a pretty unlikely place to arrange a drug deal in the middle of the river.”

Laughing at herself, Lucy agreed with her husband. The three of them grew silent as they each tried to come up with a possible explanation for the boat to be in that area of the river. Realizing that they were just rehashing the same information and not coming up with reasonable answers, Megan turned to her cousin.

“Paul, please flip on the TV and let’s see if the news has anything to report about tonight. I can’t believe it’s this late already.”

They watched the newscast through the breaking news and the bantering between the anchors. Then, just before the weather report, there was a small mention of trouble on the river.

“The marine patrol and our local police have been called out regarding the report of a boating accident along the southern end of the river. We have no details at this time, but our reporters are on their way to investigate. We will bring you breaking news as it develops.”

Megan relaxed as the perky news anchor finished her report. That was vague enough that no one watching would realize what had really happened or on whose property. It also meant that by tomorrow morning when she headed back to Carol’s home, the media would be more intense than just the annoying reporter from the Daily Press.

“I guess there isn’t much anyone can do until there is a person or body to go over. Yuck, what a rotten thing to have to wait for. Megan, are you going back to Carol’s in the morning or are you going to wait for someone to call you?”

“Lucy, I think I need to be there. Besides, Sheriff Green’s expecting me. I’m not sure what good I can do. I didn’t recognize the victim. And I never want to see or hear those two men again, that’s for sure. Hey, turn it up a bit. I want to listen to the weather report.”

Paul adjusted the volume on the TV and they sat back to find out the about the upcoming weather, though this time of year it was always the same: high 80’s with scattered afternoon showers. That was just the way it was in south Florida during early summer.

“The national weather radar is showing our first signs of a tropical disturbance developing east of the Puerto Rican Islands. Tracking routes at this point show the system moving across Cuba and into the Caribbean Sea as it strengthens. It is too early now to determine if it will move from the Caribbean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico, or move towards the Keys and follow the shoreline up the Florida coast. Even though this is our first disturbance of the season, we feel it bears watching. Remember to begin your storm preparations early and keep your channel set to this station for updated reports. And now for the sports news.”

The three of them stared at each other in disbelief.

“Isn’t this just a little early for a storm? It’s only the end of June. Have we ever had a hurricane this early?” Lucy asked

“I’m not sure if it was this early, but I think Dennis hit around the Fourth of July weekend back in ‘04 or ’05. I could look it up.” Paul moved as if to get up, but Lucy stopped him with a wave of her hand. He loved weather trivia and he would be lost on the computer for hours once he started researching past tropical storms.

“It doesn’t really matter. You all know what the first storm means, mass panic. All those who don’t plan ahead will blow it off, and all those that are on the paranoid side will be running to the stores to grab water and plywood. And the media will run old clips of past storms non-stop. Been there done that. It’s the same thing every year.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Lucy. This will put an extra work load on my staff. That’s for sure. This early in the season means that we don’t have everyone’s house ready for the storm and we still have some clients in residence. Guess I’d better plan on a staff meeting tomorrow and get our plan of attack ready,” added Megan

“Having a staff meeting is a good idea anyways, Megan. You are going to need to let them know what happened tonight. They need to be on the lookout for anything unusual, as well as the possibility of the media, since it does involve one of your clients.”

“Ouch, I didn’t even think of that, Paul. I’ll contact everyone in the morning after I speak with Sheriff Green and find out what kind of instructions he will have for us. Thanks for thinking ahead. I guess my brain is just overloaded tonight.”

“I think I want to be there for that meeting, too.”

“Of course, that would be fine. I appreciate the help.”

Megan looked over at her cousin and saw the concern in his dark brown eyes. Even though they were cousins, Paul treated her like a brother would. He stood a good six inches over her and had the body of a man that works for a living with his hands instead of sitting behind a desk for eight to ten hours a day. They were the same age and had shared a happy and loving childhood together as part of a close-knit family. He had deep brown hair with just a hint of the family’s copper coloring.

“You know what, guys? I’m going to bed. Maybe something new will come to me as I sleep. If not, I’m going to need to be alert in the morning, and if I don’t at least try to get some sleep, I’ll be useless tomorrow.”

Getting up, Megan gave each of them a warm hug and assuring Lucy she had everything she needed, headed for bed.

Reaching the guest room, she closed the door behind her and walked over to the window to peer out at the night sky. Noticing a car slowly driving past the house, she held her breath. Then she saw that it was a police car: Sheriff Green was making good on his promise of protection. She released her breath with the feeling of being a tad safer. So much could change in just an instant as she well knew. Saying a silent prayer for the missing man, Megan wondered if he had anyone who was missing him right at that moment. Vowing to herself she would help in any way she could to bring peace to the man or his family, she knew she was going to involve herself in this matter until she was satisfied that there were answers to her questions.