Clammed Up: A Maine Clambake Mystery Part 19

"She stayed down at the beach."

"I thought you said you didn't want her to be alone."

"I meant I didn't want to leave her on the island by herself. She's a bit fragile right now."

I turned to face him and took his great paw in my much smaller hands. "Etienne, is Jean-Jacques back?"

He looked away and dabbed his forehead with the towel. "I do not know. I have not seen him. I have only seen evidence of his comings and goings. Gabrielle is convinced he's been here."

I thought about Gabrielle's increasingly nervous disposition. "How long has this been going on?"

"She discovered the playhouse had been fixed up shortly after we finished the spring cleaning. It looked occupied, I think you'll agree. She kept going over to investigate, insisting she'd seen smoke from the chimney. But then we'd get there and find no one, just charred wood in the fireplace."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You had so many worries. So much responsibility."

"Oh, Etienne."

He gave me a small, sad smile. "We all have our burdens."

"What about the room with the clothes in Windsholme? Did you know about that?"

He nodded, moving the rocker a little as he did. "Yes, I knew. Once the clambake started there would be people all over the island-and in summer no further need of the fireplace at the playhouse. By then, the electricians who'd done that rewiring for you were gone. Gabrielle is convinced Jean-Jacques moved into Windsholme after the first police search because the mansion was quieter and more private."

That made sense. Inasmuch as any of it made sense. I switched subjects. "You were on the mainland the night of Ray Wilson's murder."

Etienne sighed. His face settled into its familiar outlines, but I could tell he was exhausted. "This has all been very stressful for Gabby. She's been so anxious her doctor prescribed some medication for her nerves. That night she couldn't sleep. With the wedding here in the morning, she was terrified someone would stumble upon Jean-Jacques. And we had run out of her medication."

That alone told me how stressed and distracted Etienne's little household was. When you lived on an island, you became an expert planner, an obsessive list maker. You never ran out of staples or medication.

"Gabrielle was so agitated that night. Neither of us had slept one wink, and with the wedding the next day, I decided we had to go across to the pharmacy."

"Etienne, why didn't you call our house? I could have picked up the prescription and met you at the dock, at least."

"You had a big day the next day, too."

His reluctance to ask for help cut me to the quick. Our families were intertwined in business and friendship. I would have helped him, if only he'd asked.

"If you know we were in town that night, you probably know the rest," he said. "I asked that Tony Poitras for a ride to the pharmacy. He was cruising by the dock. I had no idea he was the groom until we got to chatting on the car ride."

"Did you know he was Ray Wilson's partner?"

"No, it never came up. Gabrielle was obviously in distress and I think we both wanted to get the errand over with as quickly as possible."

Now I was the one who sighed. I turned away so he couldn't see the tears in my eyes. "Etienne, I wish you had trusted me more."

"It's funny. I wanted to say exactly that to you."

"You wish I had trusted you more?" I had trusted him with my business, my family's livelihood, and our island every single day.

"Your father compensated me well, and gave me a third of the clambake's profits every year."

I knew that from my study of the books, and if the clambake was ever profitable again, I intended to continue that tradition.

"My expenses have been low," Etienne said.

"Neither Gabrielle nor I have extravagant tastes."

I nodded. I knew he and Gabrielle to be frugal Mainers.

"The long and the short of it is, we have plenty of money. I want to help you with the clambake, become your business partner. I should have said something earlier. I guess I was hurt that you never asked, never even considered bringing Gabby and me into the business. Into the family."

"Etienne, I'm so sorry. I never thought-"

"No. You never did. Now I am tired of waiting to be asked. I am offering."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. Unless something dramatic happens, First Busman's Bank will call our loan on Monday. With an infusion of cash like I think you're offering, we could try to restructure the debt, but honestly, I don't know if it's still possible. If there was an arrest for the murder, it would help with the bank because we could guarantee we'd be open. But we owe a million and a half dollars. If we can't fully pay off that debt, your help may not matter."

"I can handle that amount-the million and a half."

Was this a bad joke? How could Etienne possibly have that kind of money? But then, as I thought about it, the idea seemed more plausible. The bonuses my father had given him during the boom years were healthy. Etienne and Gabrielle had next to no living expenses-the summer rental paid for their house, they'd had no college expenses for Jean-Jacques.

"But I do have some conditions," Etienne continued. "One, I want to be a partner. For that kind of money, I'd expect to own a third of the business. I don't want an interest in the properties, those belong to your family. But I do want to be a formal partner in the business."

The amount he was offering, a million and a half dollars for a third of the business, was more than fair. I was completely comfortable with what he proposed. My father had always treated him like he was an owner anyway. I indicated that he should go on.

"Two-no more work on Windsholme. Leave it as it is. It's the only part of your plan I never agreed with. Three-you stay, at least for the rest of the summer."

Those also were easy. There'd be no money for further improvements to Windsholme even with the cash from Etienne. And I'd always planned to stay for the whole summer, as long as there was a business to run.

"Four-Sonny goes. He's out of the business."

I sat stunned. "Sonny has worked at the clambake since he was a teenager. I don't think he ever meant to harm the business. He's family. I can't throw him out."

"Wake up, Julia. Sonny is a know-it-all who won't listen to advice from anyone. Or take direction. He's stubborn and aggressive. He's impossible for you to work with. Or me to work with. If I am part owner, he has to go." Etienne's voice was insistent. I didn't doubt he meant what he said.

What could I say? My mother had begged me to find a way to keep the island in the family and this was that way. Quite probably the only way. My stomach hurt just to think about it. Etienne had asked me to destroy my family in order to save it, but if we took his deal, the property would still belong to my mother, would pa.s.s to Livvie and me, and ultimately, to Page and my children. "I'll think about it. And talk to my family."

Etienne stared down the lawn at his house and the dock, my borrowed dinghy bouncing on the waves. "Good."

I had one more thing to ask. "Do you think Jean-Jacques killed Ray Wilson and set fire to the porch?"

Etienne shook his head. "I am certain he did not. My boy is not a killer. That was why he could not go back to Iraq. He is incapable of killing anyone."

I left the island in the little outboard. The skies were gray by then and a steady wind had come up. I fought the current and small swells all the way back through the harbor. Large, ploppy raindrops fell just as I got back to Chris's boat slip. No one was around. I was beyond grateful I didn't have to see him.

My phone buzzed to let me know I had a text. Binder. Please come by headquarters ASAP. Development in case you need to know about.

I locked up the little boat, put the key in my pocket, and lit out for the police station. Had there been an arrest? Was it possible my luck had turned?

Chapter 47.

Binder looked up from his chair at the conference table. "You got here faster than I expected."

"I am absolutely desperate for good news." I remained standing, too excited to sit down.

"Well, I'm not sure if this qualifies or not. Sarah Halsey has been arrested for the murder of Ray Wilson. She's here at the station."

Now I needed a chair. "Murder. I don't understand." Just moments ago, I'd been so happy there'd been an arrest. I thought about Tyler growing up without his mother. I was afraid I'd be sick all over Binder's conference table. "But Sarah didn't kill Ray. She just wanted to show he would be a terrible father and shouldn't get visitation. Her own father was an alcoholic-"

Binder's eyebrows rose. "Ms. Snowden, I'm not sure what you know about the facts in this case. For example, did you know that Ray Wilson died leaving a considerable amount of money to his son, Tyler Halsey, and as Tyler's legal guardian, Ms. Halsey would have had unfettered access to all the money to do as she pleased?"

Sarah hadn't told me that. It was amazing how many half-truths I'd been told in the past week. Still, the Sarah Halsey I knew was a hardworking, grounded mother and teacher with strong moral values. I couldn't imagine her risking prison and losing her son for money. I tried again. "Sarah didn't realize Ray would start drinking again after all this time and that the combination of the drugs and alcohol would kill him. If anything, it was an accident."

"The Rophynol Ms. Halsey gave the victim didn't kill him. He died of a broken neck."

"A broken neck?" Why arrest Sarah for murder if the drugs weren't what killed Ray?

"His neck was broken before his body was hung up at Windsholme."

I was reeling, not sure I comprehended everything Binder said. "But if his neck was broken, then Sarah didn't kill him. And she couldn't possibly have taken him out to Morrow Island and hung his body from the staircase. That would require someone much stronger."

"We don't think he was dead when he arrived on the island. We believe Ms. Halsey doped him up so that he'd be easier to manipulate. He went to the island willingly, where he was killed and hung."

"Still, there is no way she could have strung him up."

"Alone. She couldn't possibly have killed him and hung him from the staircase alone. Ms. Halsey has also been charged with conspiracy. Her accomplice is meeting with his attorney right now, making arrangements to surrender. He'll be charged later this afternoon. I think you know him. Christopher Durand."

I stumbled out of Binder's conference room with tears in my eyes and the telltale tightness in my chest that preceded a panic attack-and rammed straight into Jamie in the drab corridor. He took one look and hustled me into something that looked like a supply closet. He switched on the single overhead bulb. The shelves that lined the closet closed in on me and I swayed a little.

"Breathe, Julia, breathe."

I had a vivid image of standing on the top floor of Windsholme with Jamie forcing my head to my knees. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of that. I steadied myself and did as he commanded, closing my eyes and breathing in and out through my open mouth, while I still could. It worked. My heart rate slowed.

"I see you've heard about Sarah."

"Oh Jamie, I can't believe it. Can't you talk some sense into Binder?"

"It's a pretty ironclad case. She came in and admitted she drugged him. And you have to agree, she had a powerful motive."

I felt horrible guilt for forcing Sarah to tell the police about the Rophynol. At the time, I just wanted her to clear up that bit of the puzzle, to remove the drugging from the list of things Binder's team was investigating. I never imagined it would turn into an arrest. "Sarah wouldn't deliberately kill anyone, much less for money," I insisted.

Jamie put a steadying hand on my arm. "One thing I've learned in my short time on this job. You don't know people as well as you think you do."

I wasn't buying it. "But she couldn't have gotten Ray Wilson out to the island in the middle of the night even if he was drugged. And she certainly couldn't have hung him from the staircase."

"She didn't. We believe Chris Durand did that. As her accomplice."

"But why? Why would Chris do something like that for Sarah?"

Jamie looked away. "I've told you too much already. Don't ask me anymore." His voice had a wary edge to it. I knew I was treading on dangerous ground.

"Please, Jamie. Please, please tell me. As a friend."

"As a friend, Julia! As a friend!" The edge exploded into fury. Jamie shouted so loudly I was afraid people in the corridor could hear us. "Are we friends? I'm not sure we are. Did you even call me when you got back into town? No, I found out from your mother. We never saw each other until this case started. I'm not sure you ever would have spoken to me if there hadn't been a murder on your precious island."

Even in the dim light, I could tell he was red in the face and just spitting with anger.

Jamie's voice turned deadly quiet. "Why do you think Chris helped her? Chris Durand is a grown man. With a grown man's needs. Do you think those needs are met by having lunch with you at Gus's three times a week? Of course they're not. He and Sarah have had something going on almost since she got to town. Everybody knows that, Julia, and you would too, except you haven't been here."

With that, Jamie banged out the door, which slammed behind him, leaving me standing in the janitor's closet, shaken to the core.

Outside the police station, a pelting rain driven by wind stung my face and arms. I ran all the way to Mom's house, but was still wet to the skin when I arrived. Sonny's truck was in the driveway, along with Livvie's minivan.

Sonny.

The root of all my problems. The reason we were in this mess. Blood surged to my face, I was so angry.

He was in my office, behind my desk when I came squishing into the room in my sopping wet clothes.

"What happened to you? You're soaked."

"What happened to me? What happened to me? After my dad died, my idiot brother-in-law persuaded my mother to take out a loan she couldn't afford and then he ran my family's business into the ground, that's what happened to me! And then I gave up my job and my apartment and came here and my life turned to total c.r.a.p. That's what happened to me."

Sonny stood up behind the desk, "Julia-"

But I wasn't done. "Despite that . . . despite all that, there was a solution right under my nose the whole time. Etienne has the money. He's willing to buy a third of the business. Not the properties, just the business. It would keep the island in the family for my mother and your daughter. But that's not going to work, and do you know why? Because he won't give us the money if you're involved with the business. Because you're such an unpleasant, know-it-all jerk!" I was breathing heavily by the time I finished, and Sonny was, too, clenching and unclenching his fists. I could tell he was about to explode.

"All I ever did was work like a dog for your father," he yelled. "Every day of my life since I turned nineteen. You may not like what I did, but I've done my best. I loved the guy and I miss him. I miss him, too, Julia. I miss him every single day." Sonny's voice caught and I thought he might cry, something I'd never, ever seen him do in all the years we'd known each other.

I was at a loss on how to react. But it turned out I didn't need to.

The study door flew open and Livvie stood there, looking pale. "What's going on?"

"What's going on is, Julia's got an offer from Etienne to save the business."

"Oh-"

"But I'm out. The deal happens only if I walk away."

"What? Julia, no! That's unfair and ridiculous. Sonny's worked his a.s.s off at the clambake for ten years. The last five without Dad. You can't just throw him out!"