Valerie Wolzien - Death in a Beach Chair

“You like island food,” she commented approvingly.

“Yes, too much.” Jed patted his almost flat stomach.

“Your friends like it, too,” Trina commented.

“Our friends? You mean Kathleen and Jerry?” Susan asked.

“Yes, your friends in cottage by gift shop. They sitting with police now. They order island specialties, also.”

Susan decided she didn’t have to worry about gaining weight today. She had definitely lost her appetite.

Jed and Susan could only wait for Jerry and Kathleen to join them. Somehow their food disappeared. Jed, in fact, claimed to be thinking about what he’d order for lunch when Jerry and Kathleen finally appeared.

“You won’t believe what those guys are planning to do,” Jerry said. He sat down beside Susan and reached out for the last slice of cinnamon toast in the bread basket.

“What guys?” Susan asked, glancing over at Kathleen as she did so.

“The island police apparently have different ways of doing things than we do at home,” Kathleen said.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe it. Apparently they think that they can just watch and wait and the murderer will somehow identify himself. Most goddamn stupid thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Jerry, I don’t think we should underestimate them. A lot of what they were saying made sense to me. They seem really relaxed and casual, but… well…”

“You’re saying that the police on the island are incompetent?” Jed asked for clarification.

“I’m saying that it would be easy to get that impression, but I really don’t think it’s true,” Kathleen answered. “They may not have a whole lot of fancy equipment to check out the crime scene, but they were asking some very good questions.”

“Whatever,” Jerry said. “I know that I’m just glad I’m not depending on them to find out who killed Allison.”

“You recognized her!” Susan cried out.

“Well, of course, I-”

“Jerry! Shut up! Listen,” Kathleen continued in the shocked silence that followed her order. “There’s been a murder. There will be an investigation. Someone may be arrested. We have to make sure it isn’t the wrong person-and I do mean you, Jerry Gordon!”

“Kath-”

“Wait! Our waitress is on the way over. We don’t want to be overheard.”

“But-”

“Wait!”

Susan and Jed exchanged one of those embarrassed looks that couples share when the other couple they’re with begin to fight in their presence. They’d been through this before, but not with Kathleen and Jerry. Susan, studying Jed’s expression, realized she wasn’t the only person who was worried.

“Can I get anyone anything else?”

“I could use some more coffee.” Jerry answered Trina’s question.

“Maybe we could have it up in our cottage.” Kathleen reached over and placed a hand on her husband’s arm.

“In the cottage? But the sun is coming out; the day is going to be gorgeous. Who wants to spend a beautiful day like this indoors-”

“Jerry’s right,” Susan spoke up. “Why don’t we all go kayaking?”

“I think the storm stirred up the surf,” Jerry protested immediately.

“Then how about a long walk on the beach?” Susan knew they needed to talk someplace where they wouldn’t be overheard.

Jerry was as quick to agree as he had been to protest. “Sounds good to me. What do you think, Kath?”

“I guess…” She looked around the tiny resort. “Apparently everyone is settling in for the day as if nothing unusual has happened.”

Susan glanced around. The other guests did seem to be stretched out in lounge chairs around the pool or on the beach. Well, they were all on vacation, and the death really didn’t relate to their lives-as far as Susan knew. Had Allison come here alone or was someone-a friend, relative, or significant other-hidden away in a cottage, mourning her death in private? “Do we know if Allison was here alone?” she asked quietly.

“Yesterday she was eating lunch with one of those men who always seem to be playing bridge,” Jed answered. “Maybe she’s here with that group.”

“That doesn’t sound like Allison,” Jerry said. “At least, not the Allison I know.”

“The Allison I knew didn’t even look like the Allison that was here,” Susan said. “She may have changed more than her appearance since I last saw her.”

“So we’ll head up the beach for a nice, long walk and burn all these calories, right?” Kathleen interrupted as Trina arrived, steaming coffeepot in hand.

“Oh, you’re going for a walk?” Trina asked, filling Jerry’s cup.

“We thought we would,” Susan said quickly. “Any suggestion which direction we should go?”

“The beach is beautiful both ways. West is quieter, of course. No homes or hotels in that direction. Just watch out for the sea urchins. You don’t want to walk on one. Their sting can make you pretty sick.”

“We’ll be careful.” Kathleen stood up and turned toward Jerry. “Why don’t you bring your coffee back to our room, and you can drink it while I change? I want to put a two-piece swimsuit on and get another hat.”

“I’ll wait out here,” Jerry said, picking up his cup and taking a sip.

“I’ll come with you, Kath.” Susan jumped up quickly. “Jed can keep Jerry company.”

The two women walked away together, and Susan, displaying what she thought was an amazing amount of self-discipline, waited until the door of the Gordons’ cottage had closed behind them and they were alone before asking the first of many questions. “What is going on with Jerry?”

Kathleen responded with a question of her own. “Why didn’t you tell me that gorgeous woman was June’s sister?”

“I didn’t know.”

“I don’t know,” Kathleen’s answer almost echoed Susan’s.

“Look, we only have a few minutes before either Jerry or Jed comes to see what we’re doing, so you tell me about the police and Jerry and-and whatever you know and I’ll tell you what I know about Allison while we’re walking on the beach.”

“But-”

“Kathleen, we can talk about Allison with Jerry and Jed. We might even learn something we don’t know, but if you think Jerry might be arrested for murder, don’t you think we’d better talk about that while we’re alone?”

Kathleen was silent for a moment, picking at the terry cloth robe she had retrieved from the large queen-size bed she and Jerry had shared last night. “Okay. You’re right.

“The problem… I think the problem,” she began, “is that Jerry thinks the police here are stupid.”

“And that would mean what?” Susan prodded when Kathleen didn’t continue.

“I don’t know. I mean, I know he didn’t kill anyone, but he does have a connection to the victim. Jerry seems to think the police will ignore that, but… well, only the most incompetent investigator wouldn’t look into their relationship.”

“Don’t you think maybe you’re making too much of that? I mean, they just happened to be here at the same time, right?”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

“Of course it is! And I can prove it to the police. I was the person who made reservations for all of us, and I certainly didn’t know that Allison was going to be here when I did. I didn’t even recognize her when I first saw her. There was no connection between our vacation time and hers! Unless-” Susan suddenly realized what she was missing.

“Unless Jerry told her when we were planning to be here,” Kathleen filled in the blank.

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“I have no idea. Of course, Jerry’s mentioned Allison to me, but the truth is, it’s sometimes difficult hearing Jerry talk about his life before we met so I don’t necessarily listen as closely as I might. And recently-” Kathleen stopped talking, and Susan began to fear for the hem on the robe she was picking at.