Death in a Beach Chair

ELEVEN

There were questions Susan wanted to ask immediately, but she had to wait until the drinks Ro had ordered were served. An obsequious young man, apparently familiar with the Parkers’ requirements, placed a tray on the trunk and poured deep amber liquid into ice-filled glasses, dropped in lemon slices, and passed one to each woman. Susan, realizing she was thirsty, took a large gulp immediately. And gasped: There may have been a touch of the tea she was expecting, but most of the glass was filled with sweetened dark rum. “Oh, wow!” she muttered.

“Don’t worry, dear. They always use artificial sweetener,” Ro assured her.

“And what else?” Susan asked, realizing that her eyes were watering.

“Mount Gay rum and spring water,” the waiter answered, picking up the empty tray and preparing to depart. “Anything else?”

“We’re fine now,” Ro said, raising her own glass and sipping. “Excellent, as usual. Thank you,” she dismissed him. “Now where were we?” she asked Susan when they were alone again.

“You had just told me that Allison and Jerry spent yesterday afternoon together.”

“Oh, he didn’t admit that to you?”

“It wasn’t a question of admitting anything to anyone,” Susan answered, annoyed. “I never asked him what he was doing yesterday. I haven’t even spoken to Jerry about Allison… or about her murder.”

“The police did take him off rather abruptly, didn’t they?”

“I’m sure they’ll discover that they’ve made a mistake and he’ll be back here soon,” Susan stated flatly.

Ro didn’t seem convinced. “Perhaps you’re right. But I certainly would feel much better if I could tell the police that someone else was out on the beach last night, someone else who had a reason to kill Allison.”

Susan stood up so quickly that she spilled her drink. “Jerry Gordon had absolutely no reason to kill Allison. She was his sister-in-law. They were family. The police have made a terrible mistake.”

“She was his sister-in-law? She didn’t tell me that!”

Susan realized that she was giving away as much information as she was getting. “What exactly did she tell you about herself?”

“Well, let me think. She mentioned her career, that she was an illustrator who did mainly freelance work. But when I asked about it-and it sounded very interesting-she said she was on vacation and didn’t want to think about work.”

“Did you think that was odd?”

“Not at all. She wouldn’t be the first person to try to forget problems back at the office while on vacation. Why, there was a famous senator here a few years ago and he absolutely refused to talk politics.”

Susan didn’t think that was exactly the same thing, but she didn’t mention it. “So what did Allison talk about?”

“Oh, the places she had visited on other vacations, things she had done, books she had read. She didn’t speak a whole lot about what you could call her personal life. Which must be why I didn’t know she was anyone’s sister-in-law.”

“But she must have mentioned some people. After all, she told you that I had investigated murders, right? She wouldn’t have talked about me and no one else.”

Ro took another sip of her drink before answering. “But you were different than other people. Your name came up because we were talking about murder.”

“Not exactly a topic you expect to come up on vacation, is it?” Susan heard the coldness in her own voice. She was beginning to suspect that Ro was lying.

“Not unless you’re a big reader of mystery novels. In fact, it was the books we were reading that drew Allison and me together. She was just finishing up a book by Carolyn Hart, and I was just starting the latest by Kate Grilley. We agreed to switch when we were done. The gift shop’s collection of mysteries leaves a lot to be desired.”

“So you started talking about real murders after discussing favorite authors?” Susan asked, thinking it an unlikely segue.

“Yes. You see, some of the authors I like best write series mysteries and their characters are always stumbling on dead bodies-sometimes two or three times a year! I mentioned the fact that you had to suspend your disbelief to read them, and that’s when she mentioned knowing a real person who had had this very experience!”

“Oh. Did she mention me by name?”

“Well, not when we were first talking, but then you and your party checked in and she said something about you being the woman she had described earlier in the week.”

Susan realized this might be more than a little important. “Did she seem surprised to see me? Surprised that I was here?”

“Oh, dear, I know what you’re getting at. If your presence wasn’t a surprise, it would seem that she and Mr. Gordon had communicated sometime before their arrival, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know about that. There might be other explanations.”

Ro beamed. “That’s why you’re such an excellent detective. I must admit I can’t think of a single other explanation for why Allison wouldn’t have been surprised to see you.”

“Perhaps Allison was in the office and just happened to see our name on some sort of list of future bookings,” Susan improvised.

“Yes! That would explain it, wouldn’t it? We should remember that in case anyone asks, don’t you think?”

“I suppose, but frankly, I can’t imagine why anyone would ask us anything.”

“Not only is the man arrested your friend, but you knew the deceased-and this is a very small resort. Word gets around.” Ro drained her glass so quickly that Susan would have worried about her sobriety if she didn’t have other things on her mind.

“You’re not the only person who knows about Allison’s connections to us, are you?”

Ro smiled. “I’m not here alone, you know. And I may have mentioned the things Allison told me to my husband or one or two of my friends. And, of course, Allison may have spoken about these things to other guests or staff.”

There was nothing Susan could do about that now. “You said you saw Jerry with Allison during the day yesterday. What were they doing?”

“I can’t tell you that. I saw them come back to the resort together. A taxi pulled up outside the restaurant and they got out. Most of the taxis drive right into Compass Bay’s courtyard. Theirs didn’t. I suspect they were trying to hide.”

Susan didn’t like anything she was hearing. “Isn’t it possible that the driver didn’t realize that he could drive into the courtyard?”

“Oh, my dear, you don’t know this island. A job driving a taxi is coveted. Absolutely coveted. The men here have very few employment opportunities that could be said to be macho. Taxi driver is one of them.”

“And the others?” Susan asked, momentarily distracted.

“Oh, crewing on some of the ships that take tourists out for deep-sea fishing, bartending… I can’t think of any more at the moment. But I can assure you that tearing around the island roads in those old Cadillacs that are used for taxis are jobs passed down from father to son. All the drivers know where to pick up their clients.”

“What time did you see them?” Susan asked.

“Around four. Right before my friends and I met for predinner drinks and a game, I guess.”

“You said you had lunch with her yesterday.”

“Yes, that’s right, I did.”

“And did she tell you that she was going to spend the afternoon with Jerry?”

“No, no.” Ro appeared to think for a moment. “I don’t believe either of us discussed plans for the day. That’s one of the nicest parts of being on vacation. You can just do things without planning. Free as a bird! At least that’s what I think.”

Susan didn’t bother to agree or disagree. “And did you happen to notice when they left?”

“No.”

“What about later in the evening?”

“I only wish I had! I saw Mr. Gordon eating dinner with your party, but I didn’t see them together again until last night on the beach.”

“And you said they were walking together on the pier at that time.”

“Yes. I did. I thought it was a little odd.”

“Why?”

“It seemed to me that Mr. Gordon was spending rather a lot of his vacation with a woman other than his wife. You know, I’m not the only person who noticed. That young couple-I can never remember their names-the ones on their honeymoon-were talking about it when I passed them by at dinner last night. The bride seemed to be concerned that her groom might treat her like that sometime in the future.”

Susan had noticed this particular couple cavorting in the pool, bronzed and bikini clad, as well as lying in the late afternoon sun, hands clasped. The bride wore a skimpy white lace bikini that had attracted Jed’s attention, as well. “I didn’t see them at dinner last night,” she said.

“Everyone who has been here for a while noticed. They arrived five days ago and have ordered from room service for most meals since check-in. My husband insists that they don’t want to get dressed for any reason other than to lie in the sun, not that they wear very much for that particular activity.”

Susan agreed. “But they aren’t the only ones wearing scanty swimwear. In fact, the first time I saw Allison she was wearing an amazingly tiny bikini.” That might have been exactly why she hadn’t recognized Allison, Susan realized. During summer visits, Allison had spent time at the Hancock Field Club and, as far as Susan remembered, had been seen only in a navy blue maillot-with a skirt.

“Yes, Allison was very proud of her figure, wasn’t she?”

“It certainly looked that way,” Susan said. She was interested in other things right now. “Was it odd that Allison spent so much time with Jerry? I mean, she was here alone. Did she… well, sort of team up with anyone else while she was here?”

“Let me think.” For the first time since Ro had introduced herself, Susan got the impression that her hostess was worried about how she answered the question.

“You said that you and she spent a lot of time together talking,” Susan prompted.

“I don’t believe I said a lot of time. We just chatted a few times. I like to get to know the other guests here. I told you that.”

“Yes, of course. It’s natural to talk to the person in the chair next to yours while you’re lying about the pool or whatever,” Susan assured her. Ro was getting nervous. Susan didn’t want their conversation to end just as she was about to learn something. “And I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you’re trying to help Jerry.”

“Well, he seems like a very nice man. And Allison seemed to think highly of him.”

There was a moment of silence as Ro seemed to realize that she had said more than she meant to-and Susan tried to figure out how to keep the revelations flowing. “Allison mentioned him and didn’t tell you that she had been his sister-in-law?” She finally settled on asking the question that most interested her.

“Allison never mentioned having a sister who was divorced.”

“Did she mention having had a sister who died?”

Ro was obviously shocked. “Her sister was dead? I never thought-no, no, she never mentioned that. My memory may not be what it once was, but I would have remembered that! So Mr. Gordon is a widower.”

“Was. He’s been married to Kathleen for almost ten years.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Susan repeated the word.

“I thought I heard someone.”

“Who-”

A short, balding man, incredibly knobby knees shown off by his bright green plaid shorts worn beneath a purple polo shirt, had joined them.

“Ro, dear, we’ve all been wondering where you were. Did you forget our game?”

Ro, as if on cue, looked at her watch and gasped. “I had no idea it was this late!” she cried, standing up. “Everyone will think I’ve been terribly rude.” She turned to Susan. “You will understand if I dash off. My friends are waiting for me. The game cannot start without me.”

Susan stood up, too. “Of course I understand. My husband is probably wondering where I’ve vanished to, as well. I…” She didn’t know what else to say. “Thank you for-for showing me all this and talking to me and-and the drink,” she added quickly, moving into the Parkers’ bedroom and heading toward the stairs. “I guess we’ll see each other around.” Susan, feeling awkward, waved at the couple and started down the stairs.

She hurried across the first floor and back out onto the beach. She had gotten the distinct impression that Burt Parker was unhappy to discover his wife talking to her. Her impression was confirmed when these words floated down from the balcony:

“Meddling in the lives of others has gotten you in trouble before, Ro. I would have thought you had more sense than to get involved in a murder.”