Valerie Wolzien - Death in a Beach Chair

“Playacting. She probably did a lot of that when she was on the force.”

Susan decided she wasn’t going to learn anything more by staying here. “Thanks. I don’t think Kathleen killed herself. But I am worried about her and I appreciate your help.”

“Anything we can do,” Martin assured her.

“I hope this breakfast isn’t going to take you all day,” Joann snapped, picking up her fork and impaling a sausage.

“I think not, dear. That’s one of the advantages of limiting one’s caloric intake.”

Susan hurried off. No need to hear Joann’s response if she could avoid it.

Frank and Peggy were almost finished with their meal when she found them. They were sitting on the patio, looking out to sea and not speaking.

“Do you mind if I interrupt?” Susan asked, walking up behind them.

Frank looked up. “Nothing to interrupt. We’re just having one of those wonderful intimate meals in which Compass Bay specializes.”

“So much for our second honeymoon,” Peggy said.

Susan just smiled awkwardly and asked her question. “You know my friend Kathleen is missing?”

“We do. We were just talking about that,” Frank began.

“Yes, the poor girl. It’s so different than our situation. We were able to heal and grow, develop personally even though Frank had done something so reprehensible. She apparently didn’t get the chance.”

“My wife believes Mrs. Gordon was murdered.”

“My husband believes she has killed herself in her grief over discovering her husband was unfaithful. I believe therapists refer to that as projecting. He thinks, no doubt, that I should have thrown myself into the sea upon discovering his unfaithfulness. I believe women are stronger than that and I believe I have proved it.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with women being strong, or not being strong,” Susan said. “I’m worried that you’re right. I don’t think Kathleen was murdered, but I do believe some harm may have come to her. When was the last time you saw her? Do you remember?”

“Yesterday. Around lunchtime,” Peggy said positively.

“My wife is right about this one thing. We were walking by her cottage and she stuck her head out of the door. Said hello and stuck it back in again.”

“What do you mean, right about this one thing?” Peggy turned on him. “It just so happens that I’m frequently right about a lot of things. And it wouldn’t hurt you to admit it once in a while.”

Susan left without even bothering to thank the couple. She didn’t want to interrupt.

The honeymooners had not yet left their cottage when Susan walked down to the beach to join Ro, Veronica, and Randy, all three properly outfitted in bright-orange life vests. Burt was there to “say bon voyage”-his words. He said just that and then took off, heading for the bar. Ro stared at his back, a frown on her face, and then turned back to Susan. “I understand you’ve spent the morning asking some of the guests when they last saw your friend.”

“Yes.”

“Well, we’ve been talking about that and we came up with something you might find very interesting,” Veronica said, looking up from the task of tying the strings of her sun hat to her vest.

“What?”

“We saw her at different times, and she was acting rather strangely.” Ro picked up the story. “You see, Burt noticed her first. He always notices gorgeous women, but I’m a very understanding wife. As long as he just looks, I always tell him.”

“When did he see her?” Susan asked, trying to get back to the point.

“Right after you left her in her cottage. She walked out-toward the office-and stopped when she saw that there were people in the gift shop. He said that he got the impression that she didn’t want anyone to see her.”

“And she went back into her cottage.”

“Yes. Burt thought she was looking a little shaky. He thought about asking her if she needed help, but she went inside, and he decided to leave her alone.”

“And I saw her next. At least that’s what we figured out when we were all talking,” Veronica jumped in. “I went back to our cottage to get some sunscreen. Sometimes we can’t find a place to play that is in the shade, especially in the morning-the sun just bounces off the water-and the door to her cottage was open. She was sitting on the bed, rubbing her head. I called out and asked her if she needed a doctor, and she said no, she was absolutely fine.”

“Which makes what happened next so interesting,” Ro added.

“What happened next?”

“First, I should tell you that when I was coming back with my sunscreen the door was closed,” Veronica said. “I assumed your friend was lying down-”

“But she wasn’t even in the cottage!” Ro interrupted. “Randy and I went for a short walk just a few minutes later, and we saw her walking on the road.”

“Outside Compass Bay?”

“Yes, isn’t that strange?”

“And there’s something even stranger,” Veronica said. “We think she saw us and hurried back into the resort.”

“I’m not so sure that she saw us,” Ro added. “I don’t think we can be so sure about that.”

“And why would she have hurried into Compass Bay the back way if she hadn’t been seen?”

“What back way?” Susan demanded.

“Oh, there’s a staff entrance. About a hundred feet down from the regular entrance-no arch or palm trees or anything like that-just a door in the wooden fence that runs between the cottages and the road.”

“I never even realized there was a fence behind the cottages,” Susan said.

“That’s because everything is oriented to the sea. There aren’t even any windows on that side of the cottages,” Ro pointed out.

“There’s a path back there. It’s how the staff moves between cottages. Didn’t you ever realize that you don’t see them walking around much?”

“I never even thought about it, but you’re right. The staff is remarkably unobtrusive, isn’t it?”

“That’s the way we’re told to play it, ladies,” James said, joining them and their conversation. “And gentleman,” he added, seeing Randy.

“You mean there’s a part of Compass Bay that isn’t public?” Susan asked.

“Of course there is!” Ro spoke before James could answer. “There’s the path behind the cottages, and a fairly large laundry room back there, too. And the staff lounge, too. Right, James?”

“You’re a longtime guest, Mrs. Parker. You probably know your way around here better than most of the staff.

“I see you’ve all chosen your kayaks so, as soon as I find Mrs. Henshaw a life vest that fits, we’ll start on our way, if everyone is ready to go.

“Now, I think this jacket will be perfect for you, Mrs. Henshaw. May even be the one you used the last time you were out.”

“It may be. It feels fine,” she added. “James, I was wondering.” She looked over at her companions. “I have a question or two.”

“You know Lila doesn’t like us talking about the guests, and I can’t afford to get in trouble. Maybe…”

“What if we talked later? When we can be alone? I just want to ask a few questions about Kathleen.”

“Later. When we are alone. I want to help you and your friends if I can.”

“That would be great!”

Following James’s directions, the paddlers set out.

“Hey, are we gonna get caught in a thunderstorm?” Randy called out, pointing toward the horizon where dark clouds were forming.

“No. The storm comes tonight. We’ll be home long before any rainfall.”

“Funny how we’ve stopped watching TV or reading the paper or checking out the weather forecast since we’ve been here, isn’t it?” Veronica said, paddling up to Susan.