The beach was relatively crowded. Members of the community, visitors, and even a few children were enjoying the sunny day. That was good. The more crowds the better.
“This is where it happened. This is where I was attacked.”
“And you were going to see Abram Samuels?”
“He’s the one who saved me.”
He’d asked her one last time if she was sure she could handle it. All the complications, the conflicts, the risks of losing her job or worse. She just touched his face and nodded silently. They walked away from Sunset Cove and to the beach. They might be seen, but at least they wouldn’t be heard.
“And why were you meeting Abram?”
“Because we think Charlotte Ward was murdered.”
She looked out to the water and then around again. An elderly man dipped a toe in the water and stepped back with a frown on his face.
“Jake, how could someone have killed her?”
“Simple. They just kept her away from her meds. They pulled her out to the beach and left her. Without her walker, she couldn’t get back. That’s all they had to do.”
“Oh God. But who would do that? And why?”
“We think Sheryl Goldfein knows something about it. Before she was killed, Charlotte had bad blood with Sheryl.”
“You think Sheryl killed Charlotte?”
“I don’t know.” He sighed. He wanted to hold her close, but they were sitting a few feet apart. They’d have to face it separately. For now.
“For a while I thought it was Sheryl. Then Abram. The other complication is that, in order to spite Sheryl, Charlotte was investigating a radical environmental group. The Saving Tomorrow Initiative.”
“Who are they?”
“Remember the banquet? Remember the bearded man?”
“That’s them?”
“Yes.”
She put her hands over her face.
“This is too much. We have to tell the police.”
“We can’t yet.” He touched her arm. He didn’t care about appearances. “I think we can figure it out. Sheryl shifted the community’s charity funding to this group. What’s suspicious is that the group also had every reason to stop Charlotte from finding out about them.”
“I suppose so. It just seems…”
“What?”
“I don’t think Sheryl would do it.”
“You never know.”
He could tell it hadn’t sunk in. He rubbed her forearm between his fingers. She shook her head.
“That kind of thing doesn’t happen here. It shouldn’t happen here. These people are family. Why am I doing this if they aren’t like that?”
“I know.”
“Why do I stick around and bother?”
“I know.”
They looked out at the beach. The concession building was open now, they could tell from the line in front of it. People walked away with overfilled ice cream cones and sweating soda cans. And smiles. Big, open smiles.
“I have this.” He took the key out of his pocket and showed it to Mel. He dropped it in her hand.
“What is it?”
“It’s the key to Charlotte’s room. I was going to look inside her apartment. Then Conrad showed up.”
“How did you get it?”
“Abram gave me the key.”
“Of course.”
“You knew?”
“I think most of us did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was idle gossip. Not life and death.”
She sighed. She leaned forward and started spreading sand across her feet. They were already half buried.
“You know that’s why Sheryl kicked Charlotte out of bridge.”
“Abram hinted at that. I thought he was just arrogant.”
“Sheryl wanted him for herself.”
“And Charlotte thought it was all about bridge.”
“I think so. Sheryl knew it would hurt her.”
“And then Charlotte retaliated by investigating this group. That’s when the real trouble started.”
She didn’t seem interested in talking about it anymore. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his body. Her feet emerged from the sand, the grains slowly falling to the sides.
“I’m sorry you’re a part of this.”
“There’s a problem.”
“What?”
“The key.” She handed it back to him. “Once Charlotte’s daughter comes, she’ll have keys. She can change the locks, stay there, or do whatever she wants. If you use the key, you’ll have to do it before she arrives.”
“When is she supposed to get here?”
“A couple of days. Obviously you can’t go right away, since you almost got caught today. But you should have time.”
“Great.” He squeezed her upper arm. “That helps a lot.”
They sat on the beach a little longer and he held her to his chest. When she spoke, he felt her voice vibrating her back.
“How are you going to find out if Sheryl knows what happened?”
“I have an inside man.”
“Abram?”
“Better than Abram.”
“Who?”
“Gary Novak. Right now, he’s busy charming her. And hopefully he’ll learn something.”
“Gary?”
“That’s right.”
He felt her ribs shaking as she laughed.
“How does Gary Novak pull that off?”
“I don’t know what to tell you. He’s a natural Don Juan. And they are both romantics.”
She took his hand in hers. Someone’s grandson dropped a hot dog and seagulls dove for the bun. Instead of crying, the child laughed and clapped. Mel looked up.
“This is nice. Despite the circumstances.”
“Yeah. It is.”
“Can you tell me why I didn’t hear from you before all this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t you call?”
“I’ve been really busy. Just putting this together. Between work and everything.”
“I can imagine, now that I know what’s happening.”
“And it wasn’t that long, was it?”
“A few days.”
“Right.”
He looked at her and shook his head.
“I just didn’t want to scare you off.”
She laughed.
“You know I like you, right?”
“Do you?”
“Yes.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“I just have a problem with taking charge. Putting myself out there, it’s scary. And with you…”
“With me what?”
“With someone like you, it just seems improbable.”
“Why?”
“Just look at you.”
She kissed him again and stopped.
“Déjà vu. You’re vibrating again.”
He picked it up. It was déjà vu.
“Hi Gary.”
“Jacob! I’m calling you on a cellular phone.”
“I know.”
“Where are you? Are you in Charlotte’s apartment?”
“I got caught too early. But I’m going soon.”
“Did you find anything?”
Mel leaned in and listened. He let her. She deserved it.
“I found some things,” Gary shouted. “I’m so tired of talking about light. It gets boring after a few times!”
“I’m sure. But what about with Charlotte?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you find out anything about Sheryl and the Saving Tomorrow Initiative? Did she say anything else?”
“I didn’t ask directly.”
Jake heard a click.
“Are you there?”
He heard Gary yell to Sheryl.
“I’m just seeing when he will give me a ride back.”
“Gary?”
“I am sorry. I had to answer her. She made me a carrot cake.”
“A cake?”
“Yes. I’m taking it to go.”
“You can’t take Sheryl’s cake to go. What will Meryl say?”
“She wouldn’t want me wasting good food. And did you know carrots are good for your eyes?”
“Gary.”
“Your generation, it just throws away everything.”
“OK.” Mel laughed. “We’re off track.”
“I asked Sheryl what she was doing the night Charlotte died.”
“How did she react?”
“Well, I didn’t tell her it was the day Charlotte died. I just mentioned the day of the week.”
“Did she react?”
“She had forgotten. She had to look it up on her calendar, even though it happened so recently.”
Jake turned to Mel.
“If she actually didn’t remember, that definitely removes some suspicion. Even if she was lying, you’d think she’d have memorized her alibi.”
“And then,” Gary continued, “once she looked up the date, she yelled back to me that she’d been busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Bridge. It was one of the games that they didn’t let Charlotte play.”
“But if they were playing bridge, that means there were witnesses. All those people who could testify that Sheryl was with them. A clean alibi.”
“Jacob?”
“Yes?”
“I can tell you more, but please pick me up soon. She wants to show me vacation photographs and have me critique them.”
“OK, I will. Good work.”
Mel seemed confused. He closed the phone and put it in his pocket.
“What are you thinking?”
“I know Sheryl couldn’t do it,” she said. “I just know it. And if she had an alibi, then that proves it.”
“She could have hired someone.”
“I guess. But I just don’t think she would.”
“Why?”
“She’s not a bad person.”
“I know.” He squeezed her arm. “It’s clear that this is bigger than Sheryl. I think the Saving Tomorrow Initiative was involved.”
Mel brushed her hair back and started to get up. He pulled her down.
“Where are you going?”
“I should get back to work.”
“No. Stay here.”
“Thank you for telling me what happened.”
“I’m sorry I told you. I didn’t want to get you involved.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“To be honest, I am too. We’ll figure out what happened.”
“It will connect.”
He thought of something to say. It was corny. Sappy. It would scare her off. Make her reconsider and see him for what he was. But he still tasted the orange. He still had her in his arms, for now. Why not say it?
“It will connect,” he said. “But I’m glad we did already.”
She laughed a little and rolled her eyes. But then she put her hand on the back of his neck again. Softly, they kissed in the middle of the beach, in the middle of the day.