Beach House Mystery

Chapter 4

The morning along the beach had worn Morgan out. Who knew a group of four and five-year-olds could have so much energy, or get into so much mischief? Kathy and Morgan had worked hard at reining in the children"s energy and directing them to the educational fun Kathy had carefully planned for them. The kids were enthusiastic about discovering what animals lived in the lagoon, and the clever game had also taught them to work together. Even though Kathy had complained, she also loved the ritual of celebrating the first week of summer break with the island children. After that, they were the parents’ responsibility. The tradition had started years ago, and each generation of islanders carried it on. Morgan was fascinated to find out that her mother, Aunt Meredith, and Kathy’s grandmother had also taken their turns as well. Both as teachers and students. Morgan knew she had also joined the fun during her young childhood on the island, but she couldn’t remember, no matter how hard she tried.

“I bet if we look, we’ll find pictures of you in my grandmother’s scrapbooks,” Kathy had reassured her when she saw the expression on Morgan"s face as she admitted she had no memories of the beach time fun.

Morgan had smiled in gratitude and then continued to help Kathy gather the toys and beach gear. After they piled everything onto the two golf carts, Kathy looked at her watch and gasped at the time.

“I’m supposed to meet Nate at the dock. Something is coming in on the ferry, and he wants my help. Do you mind if I take off? I mean, you’re welcome to come if you want...”

Morgan didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that the last thing Kathy wanted was for her to tag along. It was clear she was excited to be meeting up with Nate, so Morgan waved her off. Promising to stop by in the morning and pick up the supplies on Morgan’s cart, Kathy didn’t wait around to see if Morgan would change her mind. Smiling to herself, Morgan watched her friend drive away, as fast as the cart would go, her long curls blowing in the wind behind her.

Morgan looked around her, making sure they had left nothing behind. The beach was almost empty now. Tired kids had gone home for naps, and the older kids had vanished when the cleanup had started, as they often will. A few senior citizens were sitting under umbrellas, reading books or napping, and the seagulls were patrolling the shore, looking to see if any crumbs had been left behind from the children"s snacks. Shielding her eyes from the sun’s glare, Morgan turned her attention to the water beyond the reef. A couple of speedboats caught her eye, their sleek lines cutting across the waves as they raced each other, bouncing in the wakes of each other"s engines.

They seem to be moving pretty fast, being that close to the reef, she thought to herself, holding her breath to see if they could clip the beautiful reef just under the surface. As she watched, the drivers swerved at the last minute and headed out to the open sea, and Morgan wondered if they knew how close they had come.

A movement caught her eye from the dunes, and she turned to see what it was. But she was too late to get a good look. Morgan could barely make out the figure in a dark flowing robe disappear over the dune. Turning back to the sea, she could no longer see the boats either. She wondered if the figure had also been watching the boats.

“Hello, Morgan.”

Morgan smiled and waved to two older men walking past her on their way to join the other seniors. Grabbing a stray plastic shovel left behind, Morgan turned and headed to the golf cart. Driving at a leisurely pace, she returned home, enjoying the soft breeze coming off the ocean. After arriving at the beach house, Morgan parked the cart in the shed and, not bothering to unload any more than her tote bag, she headed up the porch steps to the front door. Before she could reach for the doorknob, the flap of the cat door she had installed for Misty pushed outwards from inside the house. Somehow Misty always knew when she returned and was there to greet her. Opening the door, Morgan threw her bag inside and then scooped up the kitten and returned to the porch to sit on one of the wicker gliders that lined the porch. Using one foot, she moved the glider back and forth while she gave the kitten attention. It wasn’t long before her hand came to a standstill, and her head nodded back against the cushions. Apparently, the toddlers weren’t the only ones who needed a nap. Misty curled up in Morgan"s lap, watching for the slightest movement in front of the porch. But there was none, and soon the kitten was gently snoring in time to Morgan’s sleepy breathing.

Morgan woke to the soft tap of Misty’s paw against her face. Glancing at her watch, she was embarrassed to find she’d taken a two-hour nap. The rumbling in her stomach was reminding her she’d slept through the lunch hour.

“I bet you’re hungry, too,” she said to the kitten as she got to her feet. Misty responded with a loud meow, and Morgan laughed out loud. “Alright, let’s get you dinner and see what I can find for myself.”

After Morgan fed the cat, it didn’t take her long to decide there was nothing in the house to eat. Oh, there was plenty of food, but nothing appealed to her. Making a quick decision, she closed the fridge and headed to the stairs. Fifteen minutes later, she had showered and thrown on fresh clothes. Running her fingers through her hair, she decided to let it air dry. She grabbed a book and her wallet, and headed out the door, her stomach rumbling again in anticipation of her destination. Morgan needed an excellent Italian dinner, and Mario’s Pizzeria would provide her with one. Rather than heading towards the main road running along the shore, she turned and walked to the backyard. Shooing the peacocks out of her way, Morgan opened the gate from her courtyard into the peacock’s sanctuary. From there, she cut across the garden to a second gate that opened into the public gardens. Following the well-tended path, she made her way to the business section of the island. Not that there was much of a business section. No, there was Mario’s who served the best food, from lunch until late in the evening. Next to his place was the Pastry Shop. They specialized in gourmet coffee and exotic teas, along with pastries that melted in your mouth. Breakfast and lunch was served until they closed around 1:30 in the afternoon.

The rest of the business section consisted of a building that housed both the post office and the police headquarters, the old civic building, and a bit set off from the rest, the Maritime Museum. Just past the museum was a small park that housed the island"s lighthouse, constructed mainly to warn ships passing through that there was a large reef along the shore.

“Take any seat you want, Morgan. No one joining you today?”

The deep voice of the owner greeted Morgan as she walked through the entrance. She smiled in greeting at the short man with gray hair circling a large bald spot, noting the smudge of flour on his forehead. Joe Mario not only owned Mario"s, but he did much of the cooking himself, turning it over to his staff when the place got busy so he could work the dining area and make sure his patrons were kept happy.

“Nope, it’s just me and my book. I’m not too early for dinner, am I?” Morgan asked as she walked over to a small round table in front of the window. The savory smells of spices and dough were hard to ignore, and she knew her order was going to be worth the wait if Joe told her he wasn’t serving yet.

“Nope, my first batch of baked ziti just came out of the oven.” Joe was right behind her, bringing her usual order of iced tea. “Do you want to see the menu?”

Morgan shook her head as he placed the glass in front of her. “Are you kidding? The smell of that pasta is making my mouth water. It’s the special for me tonight.”

Joe nodded his approval at her order and noticing the title on her book. He grinned back at her. “I can see you have good company tonight. I just finished that book. Patterson did another great job. Bet you read it straight through.”

“I haven’t started it yet, but now, with that recommendation, I can’t wait to.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it. Your dinner will be out shortly. I’ll have Teresa bring your salad and rolls right out.” The older man motioned to someone in the kitchen and then, still praising the book, walked away to the bar area.

Morgan flipped the book over and read the back cover, eager to see what it was about. It was one she had randomly grabbed from the stack of new releases her aunt had piled by her favorite chair in the library, and Morgan had barely glanced at it. As she finished reading the cover and information about the author, a pretty college-age girl with prominent Italian bloodlines was standing at her side. She held a fresh salad in one hand, and garlic rolls slathered in butter still hot enough from the oven that steam rose from the plate in her other hand. She waited for Morgan to move her book before placing the food in front of her with a smile.

“How’s it going, Teresa?” Morgan asked, returning the smile.

“It’s the first day of summer vacation, so it’s been a little slow. Everyone wants to be at the beach.” Teresa looked mournfully out the window, a sure sign that she wanted to be out there with her friends. Then she turned her attention back to Morgan and asked her how her day had gone. They talked for a few moments, and then Teresa left Morgan to her meal. Teresa had worked in her father’s restaurant whenever he needed her, and she knew the habits of most of the diners. Someone alone with a book did not want to be disturbed with idle chitchat, and she told Morgan to take her time, she’d bring out her dinner when Morgan signaled.

“Thanks, Teresa. I’m not in any hurry. After a day with those kids, I’m happy to relax for a bit. As long as you’re not busy, I’m going to take my time.” They shared an understanding smile, and then Morgan opened the book and was soon caught up in the author"s adventure.

Teresa kept an eye on her customer, smirking as Morgan ate, not even noticing when she had finished her salad and worked her way through half the rolls on the plate. Morgan was so involved in the book that she forgot to signal for her pasta and barely noticed when Teresa wisely brought it out and switched it with the empty bowl from her salad.

“That’s hot,” she warned, but Morgan barely heard her. With the knowledge of experience, Teresa moved the iced tea close to Morgan’s grasp before she walked away. Sure enough, Morgan hadn’t been paying attention, and bit into the cheesy hot food and gasped, reaching quickly for the drink to cool down the burn in her mouth. Finally, looking up from the book, she found Teresa watching her.

“Sorry, I should have listened to you. Thanks.”

“No problem. You need anything else?”

Morgan shook her head and closed the book to concentrate on the food in front of her. Blowing on the next bite, she almost groaned out loud with pleasure as the blends of spices, cheese, and Joe’s special sauce hit her taste buds. Joe was watching from the bar and nodded at her contented expression. As Morgan ate, the pizzeria began to fill up. Teresa was busy taking orders over the phone for takeout, and Joe was seating those that wanted to eat in. Morgan watched the comings and goings through the window, amazed at the activity. Finally, there was a break, and Morgan motioned for her check. Before Teresa could bring it, Jenny Colbright entered the pizzeria. She looked around and seeing Morgan, made her way to Morgan’s table, greeting the other patrons as she did.

“Hey there, can I join you?” she asked.

Before Morgan could answer, Teresa had arrived with another cup of iced tea and a bag with a takeout meal inside.

“Relax and take your time, ladies. Jenny, there are some of Dad’s cookies in there for you, too. Our treat.”

“Thanks, Teresa,” Jenny answered after sneaking a peek in the bag. “You working here full time for the summer?”

“Only when Dad needs me. I’m taking some online summer classes. But the first week of summer break, he’s always shorthanded with his normal crew wanting time off to celebrate the end of the school year.”

Before Morgan or Jenny could answer her, the door opened again and an elderly couple came in, calling out hellos to the other patrons. Dr. Wright was a well-loved member of the committee and a vital part of the wellbeing of the islanders. Mrs. Wright was just as loved, and she had her thumb on the pulse of the island, knowing a bit about everyone. They made an odd picture. He was tall and thin, always looking like he needed a hearty meal. She was as wide as he was tall and looked like she had enjoyed his last hearty meal.

But Morgan"s attention was fixed on the figure who followed them, looking around the room, as if taking in the details of every person present. When she noticed Morgan, she pushed past the older couple and rushed over to stand in front of Morgan and Jenny.

“I know who you are,” she stated, looking directly at Morgan.