Seaside Secrets (10 page)
Authors: Cindy Bell
“
So are we,” Mary laughed, her hands still shaking with fear. “When he burst in, I didn't know what to think. I just pretended I didn't know anything. I didn't know what else to do. Then he pulled the gun on me, and,” she sighed. “I've never been so afraid.”
“
I'm sorry, Mary,” Suzie hugged her tightly. “I had no idea it would turn out like this. I need to get you home.”
“
Home?” Mary asked with a faint smile. “I don't have a home to go back to, remember? Yes, I was scared, but Suzie you were there, and then Jason came. It was actually rather thrilling,” she admitted in a sheepish tone.
“
Do you think he has any chance of going free?” Suzie asked as she looked back at Jason.
“
Not with the photos we have, and what Dr. Rose will likely find in those beer bottles, and now this,” he added as he frowned in the direction of the ropes hanging off the chairs. “Thomas has always had a strong influence on the people of this town, but never once did I think he was a criminal. I guess I trusted him too easily,” he blinked a few times then wiped at his eyes. “I need to get back to the station, are you two okay or would you like to be checked out at the hospital?”
“
We're fine,” Mary said quickly.
“
Yes, thanks to you,” Suzie added. “But wait just a moment, Jason,” she requested as she walked over to her purse which she had dropped on the floor. She pulled out the envelope that she had found in some of Harry's things. “I think it's time you read this,” she said softly and pressed it into his hand. He stared at her with a puzzled look. “Give your father a chance, Jason, grief can cause people to behave in the strangest ways. I might not have known your father well, but since I've been here I've learned a thing or two about him. I've learned that he was willing to risk his own life to reveal the truth, and I've learned that he loved you more than he was ever brave enough to say.”
“
I'll read it,” Jason promised with a slow nod. As he walked out through the door of Dune House, Suzie felt a strange sense of relief. She almost felt as if her Uncle Harry was walking out right along with him.
***
By the time the stars rose that evening, Suzie was exhausted again. But it was a nice feeling. She and Mary had straightened out the living room after forensics had done a sweep of it. They left behind more dust of course. There was still a lot to do to get the B & B ready to open, but together Suzie had no doubt that they could do it.
Suzie had invited Jason over to join them for a glass of wine on the porch after such a long and adrenaline-filled day. She wasn't sure if he would take her up on it, but she hoped he would. When she settled down on the chair beside Mary she felt
at peace for the first time in a long time. With her best friend beside her, and the ocean stretched out before her, she felt as if there were no longer any limitations to the possibilities in her life. Stranger still, when she watched the rolling waves, she thought of Paul for the first time since he had caught her mid-fall at the motel. She wondered whether he was still on solid ground, or if he was back out on the waves.
“
Last week I never would have thought of us being here,” Mary chuckled to herself as she too looked out over the water. “It's amazing the turns life takes.”
When they heard the squeak of the door to the porch they both looked
up to find Jason walking out onto the porch with his own glass of wine. He settled into a chair beside Suzie and sipped at his glass.
“
I have to admit, Suzie, when you came into town, I never imagined that you would change my life this much,” he glanced over at her with a smile. She could see the lightness in his eyes, and his more relaxed nature. She was sure that he had read the letter. She hoped it meant as much to him as it had meant to her to read it. Though she had never known her uncle very well, she was glad that he thought he could trust her, for whatever reason, and that together with Mary's help, and Jason's instincts, she had been able to solve the mystery of not just Harry's death, but Samantha's as well.
“
To be honest, I never imagined that my life would change this much,” Suzie laughed.
“
Me neither,” Mary agreed.
“
So, have you two decided are you selling or staying?” Jason asked as he looked between them.
“
Staying,” Suzie and Mary said at the same time, and then laughed at one another. “The plan is to finish refurbishing the house and then to see how we go running it as a B & B. We both wanted some excitement in our lives,” Suzie explained to Jason who was grinning.
“
And we sure did find it here,” Mary added as she took a sip of her wine. The waves rushed to the shore, crashing, only to retreat again. The sounds and scents that filled the air had a soothing quality that coaxed all three of them into a shared silence of appreciation. Dune House was alive again. What other secrets might its walls hold?
The End
More
Cozy Mysteries by Cindy Bell
Bekki
the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
