“He told me so. He was glad she was going to have some of June’s things, but he wished she could do it without insisting on visiting him. He even tried to be away on business when she was in town.”
“But she didn’t stay in the house with him,” Susan said. “He moved into that condo almost immediately.”
“That’s true. I don’t remember where Allison stayed.”
“I don’t think she ever spent the night in Hancock after the week of June’s funeral. But you’re saying that Jerry didn’t like seeing her.”
“Hated it. At the time I thought that she reminded him of June and the accident and all, but later he said something that made me wonder if maybe Allison had been hoping to take June’s place.”
“She was in love with Jerry?”
“I got the impression that he thought so.”
“Or maybe she just wanted what her sister had had,” Susan mused, thinking of the book Allison was supposed to have written.
“I don’t know,” Jed said. “Do you want to go see Jerry?”
“Yes, definitely. When are you going?”
“This morning. But I’m playing gofer. Whatever Jerry and Jude want or need, I get or do. So I don’t know if I’ll even see him.”
“And Kathleen’s there now,” Susan said. “Why don’t you go see if they need anything now and I’ll hang out here? I have a few things to do.”
“Okay. You finish your breakfast and do whatever you’re planning, and I’ll head on into town. You know, we need a place to leave messages for each other,” Jed said. “I spenda lot of time looking for either you or Kathleen. Why don’t you just write where you’re going on the bathroom mirror before you take off?” He suggested their usual method of communicating.
Susan shook her head. “No, the women who clean the cottages would read them.”
“Why would that be a problem?”
“We really don’t know who was involved in Allison’s murder,” Susan reminded him. “It doesn’t make any sense that any of the staff were involved, but you never know.”
“Okay. If you want to leave me a message, write it in the front cover of the book I’m reading-the Grisham on my side of the bed-and I’ll write to you there, too. Okay?”
“Pretty smart. Are you going right away?”
“Yup.” Jed stood up and paused. “Listen, Susan…”
“I will be careful,” she assured him, offering her cheek for a good-bye kiss.
“I’m depending on that.” He leaned down to kiss her before leaving.
Susan concentrated on her breakfast. It was delicious and she was hungry, so she didn’t become aware of the difference between today and yesterday until she had finished her eggs and was spearing the last chunk of pineapple with her fork. Then she looked up and scanned the area. The restaurant was about one-third empty, and many of the diners were finishing their meals, as well.
And no one was paying any attention to her. No one was coming up to her to tell her about Allison. No one was asking her about the murder. It was hard to believe that less than twelve hours ago, most of the people eating here now had been eager to discuss the murder and the time they had spent with Allison. Susan put down her fork and frowned. What had changed?
She placed her napkin beside her plate and stood up. She felt in her pocket for the key Kathleen had given Jed and smiled. She was going to discover what Allison had written in her diary. Susan headed for the Gordons’ cottage.
The key Susan pulled from her pocket was adorned with a wooden bird painted black. She put it into the small hole under the doorknob and turned. Nothing happened. She took it out, put it back in, and tried again. Nothing. Susan frowned, shook the doorknob, and was shocked when the door swung open, revealing the inside of the cottage. Susan hurried in and closed the door behind her, taking care to turn the dead bolt.
The room had not yet been cleaned. The bed was unmade, a damp towel was flung across the desk chair, and Allison’s big straw bag had been placed in the middle of the dresser. Susan hurried over to the bag and rummaged through it. No diary! She took a deep breath, looked around, and began to search the room. It was a small cottage, and ten minutes later Susan was sure of one thing: The diary wasn’t here.
TWENTY-THREE
Susan was sitting on the edge of the unmade bed playing with the unused key when Kathleen walked in the door.
“What does that open?” Kathleen asked.
“Who knows,” Susan answered, tossing it on the nightstand. “Do you have it?” she asked immediately.
“Have what?”
“Allison’s diary.”
“Of course not. It’s in the beach bag. I left it here for you. Didn’t Jed tell you?”
“It’s not here now,” Susan explained.
“Are you sure?” Kathleen asked.
“Yes, positive.”
“Someone must have come in here and taken it.” Kathleen walked around the room, pulling open drawers and peering into them. “It doesn’t look as though anything else is missing. Why would someone take that diary and nothing else? And how could anyone have known that we had it?”
“Kathleen, that doesn’t matter now. What did it say? You did read it last night, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but…” She paused.
“But what?”
“It didn’t say anything. At least, it didn’t say anything significant. It was a diary about food and clothing and exercise and dieting.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, apparently Allison’s New Year’s resolution was to lose ten pounds.”
“So she’s just like every other woman we know,” Susan muttered.
“Well, yes-and no. Allison apparently did it.”
“No, not like every other woman we know,” Susan agreed. “But is that really all there was? No comments about other things in her life? How she ended up vacationing here? Stuff like that? Anything at all about Jerry, or Hancock, or June?”
“Nothing. Really.” Kathleen walked over to the window and peeked through the louvers. “Now what do we do?”
Susan frowned. “There are two things I need to do today. First, I want to see Jerry. Do you think he’d like that?”
“According to Jed, his biggest problem is boredom.” Kathleen looked back at Susan. “I’m sure Jerry’d love to see you, but you can’t get any information from him. It’s like Jed said, he’s never alone. I-well, I wonder if you wouldn’t be better off here talking to people and trying to find out if anyone saw anything the night Allison was killed.”
“You know, everyone seems to want to talk to me about the time they spent with Allison, but, except for Ro, no one has told me anything significant about that night. Maybe I do need to stay here, but I’d hate it if Jerry thought I was ignoring him.”
“Oh, Susan, you know Jerry would never think that! And he’s so confident that he’ll be released.”
“Then I’d better get to work here and see what I can dig up. The next time you see him, you’ll give him my best.”
“Of course!” Kathleen glanced at her watch. “I told Jerry I’d order more meals for him. Guess I’d better get going. I’m going to bring him a late breakfast. I’ll find you as soon as I get back. Okay?”
“Sure. I’ll be around.” Susan spoke her last words to Kathleen’s back as her friend hurried off. Susan sighed and sat down on the bed, feeling completely alone.
She wasn’t going to look further for Allison’s diary. If Kathleen hadn’t destroyed it altogether, she would have hidden it in a place where it wouldn’t easily be found. Whatever Allison had written must have been incriminating. So incriminating that Kathleen didn’t dare share it with Susan.
Susan was shocked and confused. She needed time to think and she needed to keep investigating. She couldn’t imagine that it was possible to do both at the same time. Unless…
It was the best thought she’d had in days: time for a massage. It would relax her, and for once, a talkative masseuse would be a plus instead of an annoyance. She hurried off to the gift shop, determined to snag the first free appointment of the day.