Beach House Mystery

Chapter 2

Kathy Colbright was going to win the argument, and Morgan Seaver knew it. But Morgan played along anyways. She had to laugh at the woman standing next to her. The chatter was nonstop, and she wondered how Kathy did it without coming up for air.

The two women were standing at the edge of the railing, waiting for the ferryboat to bring in supplies from the mainland. The warm wind coming off the ocean blew strongly, catching the dark hair of both women. Kathy’s was long and curly, what her grandmother liked to call gypsy hair. Morgan"s was shoulder length, and pitch-black except for a streak across the front. The streak ran from the tip of her hair to her roots, going in about 3 inches, and it was a vivid aqua blue. A few months ago, she had dyed it as a quirk, but like so many other things that had gone a little askew over the last month, her hair had never grown out of the dye color. Instead, it intensified, turning from a dark blue to the aqua. At first, Morgan was mortified when it wouldn’t wash out, but now she was getting used to it. It was becoming a talisman for her.

"So, what do you think, Morgan? Is it a good idea?" Kathy stopped talking long enough to wait for her friend"s answer.

"Are you sure your sister is the type for a surprise party? Jenny comes across as being more ‘I need to know everything that is happening’ kind of person. Springing a surprise on her may not give you the results you"re looking for," Morgan answered, trying to be diplomatic.

"Oh, nonsense. It"s just what Jenny needs; something to wake her up and get her out of her rut. And what could be more fun than a party boat?"

Morgan didn"t answer. Instead, she looked out over the water and saw the ferry making its way towards them. It still had a distance to come, but it would be here shortly. She knew Kathy was excited about her idea, and to most people, it would be a great adventure. But Morgan liked to have her feet firmly on soil. And too many things in the last month had confirmed this inner feeling she’d had all her life. Morgan was drawn to the water; she loved to stand on the dock or walk along the beach, but she had a slight fear of going out in or on the water. She would, but she was never comfortable about it. The idea of going out to party on the boat in the evening did not fill her with the same exuberance that it was filling Kathy.

"Kathy, you know how I feel about the water," Morgan stated, rather than answering the question directly.

"Oh, come on, Morgan, what can one night hurt? It will only be for a couple of hours and will be perfectly safe. After all, the company that runs these parties knows what they"re doing. Please? For Jenny?"

Morgan burst out laughing at Kathy"s pleading. As she laughed, the sound caught the attention of the bundle tucked inside the basket of her bike. With a slight meow, a longhaired tabby stuck her head out of the basket, demanding to know why her nap was being interrupted. Morgan reached out and reassured the kitten that all was well, and with a contented sigh, she curled back up in the basket and went to sleep.

The bicycle was the most common mode of transportation on Pearl Island. The island itself was only about 4 1/2 miles long and 3/4 of a mile wide, and it wasn"t an actual island. At the opposite end of the island from where the women were standing was a beautiful public beach. From that beach, you could drive your car over the one-lane road onto the island proper. The tourists tended to stay near the beaches, occasionally wandering about, getting a pizza, or some of the delicious pastries available from the pastry shop. But for the most part, the island belonged to the residents. There were very few commercial locations, and most people left the island to go to work in one of the larger cities along the coast of Florida. They would drive their car onto the ferry to go to work and then to come home. Some even had a second residence on the mainland, coming to Pearl Island on weekends to spend time with their family. Houses on the island were kept up with pride, some large, almost mansions, and others more moderate. Morgan lived in the large beach house at the other end of the island that overlooked the shore from one side and the private gardens belonging to the island from the other. The beach house had been there for decades, a family home for generation after generation of Seavers. Morgan herself had just recently come back to the island after being away most of her life. She"d spent her youth playing along the shore, but when her mother passed away, she"d been sent to boarding school in the Northeast, where she"d spent most of her life, only returning for summer vacations and special holidays.

"You have to agree to this, please? I have to tell the captain when she docks the ferry. There"s only one opening in time for Jenny"s birthday, and I want to make sure I don"t lose it. So, I can count on you, right?"

Morgan sighed. She did not want to disappoint either of her new friends. Ignoring the uneasiness she felt about going out on the boat, Morgan nodded. Kathy didn"t give her a chance to say a word; she squealed with delight, giving her a fierce hug.

"Between the two of us, we’ll work to make this a great party for my sister. She"s been in such a funk after losing her partner. This is just what she needs."

Morgan exchanged a look with Kathy at the mention of Jenny"s partner. It had been a rough couple of weeks for Jenny. As the island"s only police officer, she felt the weight of the responsibility and all the extra hours from having to do the work herself after the arrest of her partner for murder—the murder of Morgan"s aunt.

Kathy continued her chatter with more enthusiasm now that she had gotten Morgan"s agreement. Morgan let her go on, not paying too much attention. Instead, she was thinking about all that had happened in the last couple of weeks. Morgan had arrived at Pearl Island expecting to be greeted by her Aunt Meredith after being away for several years. Instead, she came to find her aunt murdered. And Morgan was being blamed for the murder. From that point on, strange things had happened. It was hard to keep them straight, and it was also hard to accept that everything that had happened was real and not a figment of her imagination or part of some old sea legend.

Morgan was shaken from her memories by Kathy’s excited grasp of her arm.

"The ferry is almost here. Do you want to come and talk with Captain Rose with me?” Kathy was putting the chain around her bike while she readied to board the ferryboat to talk to the captain.

"No, you can handle this,” Morgan said. “Just let me know what you need me to do. We can get together later tonight if you want and go over the details. Come by the house; I still have some casseroles left to defrost, and I could use some help getting through them. Besides, I need to get this little kitten home before she wakes up and decides to get into mischief."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I"ll be happy to help you eat those casseroles. I bet I could tell you who made each one." Kathy laughed.

"Well, there"s still plenty more. Families on the island have been very generous to me after Meredith"s death. With all the food they brought, they must"ve thought I didn"t know how to cook."

"No, that"s just island life. We look after our own. And Meredith was loved by everyone on the island, so of course, we can extend that love to you and try to take care of you. You’re just going to have to get used to it, Morgan." Kathy reached over and gave her a quick hug and then headed towards the edge of the dock where the ferry would land.

With a wave of her hand, Morgan turned and headed back to the Seaver beach house.