A Whale of a Tail Read online

  “Murdered?” Cassie looked skeptical. “Are you pulling my leg?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “Winifred Westminster is dead?”

  I nodded. “Shot in the chest. Finn is at the scene right now, trying to get a lead on who might have done it.”

  Cassie headed toward the side door of the cabin. “Isn’t this the third death in the past few years that has been directly related to one of your book clubs?”

  I paused to think about it. “Yes, I guess it is.”

  “You realize that the odds of being murdered after participating in one of your book clubs is going to cause people to think twice before attending?” Cassie hung her jacket on the coat rack near the door. She bent down to pet Max before adding that while she enjoyed working for Tara and me at Coffee Cat Books, she was beginning to think the job should come with hazard pay.

  I headed to the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine. I poured two glasses and handed one to Cassie. “I guess I never stopped to think about the fact that we’ve had multiple deaths occur either at a book club meeting or immediately following one. It might be worth discussing the situation with Tara, although looking back, I don’t think that attending our book club directly led to any of the deaths.”

  Cassie sat down at the small dining table next to the window that overlooked the sea. “That may be true about the other deaths, but if someone killed Winifred Westminster because of something presented in the talk she gave at the meeting, it sounds to me as if her death might very well be related to having attended your book club.”

  Dang if Cassie wasn’t right. Although at this point there was a lot we didn’t know.

  “So, your birthday is on Monday,” I said, changing the subject.

  Cassie smiled. “Yes, I know.”

  “Siobhan and I talked about asking Danny and Aiden if we could use the bar that night for a private party so all your family and friends can celebrate with you. Is that something you would want us to do?”

  Cassie took a sip of her wine before she answered. “Initially, I was thinking that I’d just skip having a party this year, but something small with family and close friends would be nice. Do you think we have time to invite Aunt Maggie and Michael? It wouldn’t feel right to have a family event without them.”

  “I think we have time. They only live a ferry ride away. I’ll call Maggie tomorrow. Mom too, and of course Marley. Why don’t you make me a list of friends you want to invite and I’ll take care of the family and family friends?”

  “I’d like to invite Willow and Alex.” Willow was a part-time employee at Coffee Cat Books, where Cassie worked full time these days. Cassie took another sip of her wine. “I’ll go ahead and call the friends I want to invite. What time should I tell them?”

  “Let’s start at six. We can provide a dinner buffet and, of course, an open bar. I’ll call the brothers and make sure it is okay to use the bar and that they have plenty of soft drinks for those who don’t want alcohol. Once you get a head count for friends let me know, and Siobhan, Tara, and I will take care of a cake, and all the food.”

  Chapter 3

  Wednesday, October 23

  Cody would be home on the last ferry today, which had me excited. Saturday was the homecoming game and dance, Monday was Cassie’s birthday party, and Thursday was Halloween. I’d called Mom and Maggie first thing this morning, and both assured me they’d be there for Cassie’s party. It was convenient that Cassie’s birthday fell on a Monday this year, and Coffee Cat Books was closed on Sundays and Mondays.

  As for homecoming, Cody and I would be attending the game but planned to skip the dance. Danny and Aiden planned to have a homecoming reception at the bar, and Cody and I would be going to that. Finn hadn’t come home until after I’d gone to bed last night, but his car was still in the drive this morning, so I grabbed a cup of coffee, and then head over to the main house to see if I could get an update on the Winifred Westminster murder case. When I arrived, Connor was sitting in his highchair eating pancakes, and Finn and Siobhan were sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee. Cassie wasn’t down yet, but she’d had a late night, so I wasn’t surprised. I filled Siobhan in on my conversation with her about a party on Monday and then turned my attention to Finn. “So, did you figure anything out about the murder?”

  “Not much. She was shot in the chest. Her body was still warm, and blood was still oozing from her body when I arrived, so it had just happened. I checked for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. Based on the location of the entry wound, it appeared as if she’d been shot through the heart. I hadn’t seen anyone nearby when I pulled up, so I am figuring the killer left through the back door and escaped through the wooded area at the back of the property. I didn’t see any cars anywhere in the area, so I have to assume the killer either arrived on foot or left his or her car on the street on the far side of the woods.”

  “And the neighbors?” I asked.

  “I spoke to everyone who lives both on the street where the house is located and the one beyond the woods area. No one admitted to seeing or hearing anything.”

  “How could the neighbors not have heard a gunshot?” Siobhan asked.

  “It’s possible the killer used a silencer,” Finn answered. “I’m only just getting started with my investigation, so I hope I will be able to make some headway today.”

  “Did you find anything at all?” I asked. “Fingerprints, footprints, hairs, fibers, anything?”

  “The crime scene guys had just arrived when I left to talk to the neighbors. When I returned from my interviews, they were still working, and I left to come home. I’m hoping they will have news for me today.”

  “The killer has to be someone related to Amy Anderson’s death,” I said with conviction. “I mean, I suppose it is possible that Winnie was simply the victim of something like a home invasion gone wrong, but really, what are the odds that will turn out to be the case?”

  “I agree that Winnie most likely died because of what she had discovered about Amy’s death,” Finn said. “Siobhan gave me the list you made last night, so I have a place to start. If you think of anyone else who should be on the list, call me. I have a short list of people I remember being at the party who aren’t on the list and whose whereabouts are not currently known. I’m going to see if I can track down the individuals who fall into that category.”

  “Like who?” I asked.

  “Jamie Fisher, for one. I remember that she came to the party with Brock, creating quite a stir.”

  “Jamie moved to Florida years ago. As far as I know, she hasn’t been back to the island since. She doesn’t have the history with this place that some of us do; I don’t think she moved here until sophomore year of high school, and she left shortly after graduation. I suppose that it’s possible she could have killed Winnie, but I doubt it. I also really doubt she killed Amy. Sure, Amy hated her, and they did seem to have a rivalry of some sort going on, but Jamie was pretty indifferent to most people in general, and at the time of the party she’d only been with Brock for a short time. I didn’t sense that they had any sort of deep, abiding love that would cause Jamie to act violently.”

  Finn made a few notes on the legal pad he was working from.

  “What about Chase Carter?” he asked. “I was only at the party for a short while, but I seem to remember Amy hanging all over him.”

  I bit my lower lip. “The gang and I discussed the fact that Amy had been openly lusting over Chase at the party. I suppose he could be considered a suspect in Amy’s death, but I have no reason to believe he is on the island now. You should probably try to ascertain his whereabouts, although in my opinion, his girlfriend at the time, Liza Tisdale, makes a more likely killer. She was so possessive, and she had this mean, jealous streak.”

  “And do we know if Liza is on the island?” Finn asked.

  “As far as we know, she isn’t, but again, it might be worth looking in to. I can think of a few others we might want to add to the list, but t
o be honest, I don’t see any of these people strangling anyone.”

  “Amy wasn’t strangled,” Finn said.

  I raised a brow. “Danny said the newspaper said Amy was strangled.”

  “The newspaper did say that, and as far as I know, Tripp let everyone believe that, but I took a look at the official medical examiner’s report, and it said that Amy had been suffocated. There were no signs of strangulation.”

  Tripp Brimmer was the resident deputy at the time of Amy’s death.

  Siobhan got up and refilled everyone’s coffee. “Don’t you think it is too early to make the assumption that the person who killed Amy is the one who killed Winnie to the exclusion of all other possibilities?”

  “I suppose it is early to eliminate all other possibilities completely,” Finn said. “And I do plan to explore the option that there might have been someone who wanted Winnie dead for a reason totally unrelated to Amy Anderson. I don’t personally think that is where we will find the killer, but I plan to spread a wide net at least in the beginning.”

  “If Winnie was killed because she found out who killed Amy, all we need to do is find out how her book ended,” I pointed out. “I know she wasn’t going to tell anyone how the story ended ahead of time, but the book was publishing in less than a month. Her editor and publisher must have the finished manuscript by now.”

  “Good point,” Finn said. He stood up. “I’m going to head into the office and make some calls. If I can find someone who will send me the complete manuscript, I should be able to figure out who would want Winnie dead.”

  After Finn left, I went out to the cat sanctuary to feed the resident cats. Harthaven Cat Sanctuary was initially the love child of my aunt Maggie, but after she married and moved off the island, Siobhan, Cassie, and I took over the care of the cats. Taking care of so many cats was a big job, but now that Mayor Bradley had passed away and it was no longer legal to kill the feral cats that lived on the island, the number of animals at the sanctuary had decreased quite a bit. We did have cats surrendered to us from time to time, but I was usually able to get those in new, forever homes through the daily adoptions we did through Coffee Cat Books in a relatively short time. As I fed the cats, I was reminded of the fact that more often than not, if there was a murder to solve on the island, a cat would come along to help me with the investigation. This murder had only occurred last evening, but if tradition holds true, a cat would appear at some point today. Perhaps once I went into town for work, I would stop by to chat with my witch friend, Tansy. She acted as a guardian of sorts for the magical cats on the island, so if I had a feline helper on the way, chances were good that she would know about it.

  Chapter 4

  Tansy and Bella were friends who owned Herbalities, an island shop that specialized in herbal lotions and natural remedies. Each had special talents, which caused many to refer to them as witches, a title, by the way, neither had ever admitted to. I wasn’t certain what title their talents should earn them instead, but what I did know was that Tansy had a way of seeing and knowing things that no one else seemed to be able to do.

  When I arrived at the store, Bella was standing at the counter looking down at some sort of spreadsheet. “Good morning, Cait.” Her bright blue eyes flashed with delight, and her waist-length blond hair was slipped over one shoulder.

  “Good morning, Bella.” I took in a deep breath. “Something smells heavenly.”

  “Tansy is trying out a new incense that is purported to aid in relaxation and stress release.”

  I took another deep breath in through my nose. “It does smell divine. I’m not sure it would relax me, but it does have a pleasant scent.”

  Bella smiled. “Tansy and I have come to the realization that while the incense is pleasant, it doesn’t seem to have any specific medicinal value.”

  “Is Tansy here today?”

  “She’s upstairs. I’ll get her. She has been expecting you to come by to ask about the recent murder.”

  “You heard about it?”

  Bella tilted her head to the side just a bit. “We didn’t hear anything, but Tansy knew. She is getting some things together for you to take with you.”

  I looked around the colorful and wonderful-smelling shop while I waited for Bella to fetch Tansy. When they had moved onto the island, I’d been fascinated by the mystical items they sold here, but after getting to know them, I’d learned that the women themselves were far more interesting than their wares.

  “Cait,” Tansy greeted me, gliding down the stairs. “You are just in time. Watson will be waiting.”

  “Watson?”

  “The cat who has come to aid you in finding a killer.” Tansy handed me a box. “Watson has been having some health issues, so you will need to add the supplements I am providing to his food twice a day.”

  “Health issues?”

  “Don’t worry. His health won’t affect his ability to help you. He isn’t contagious, so he can mingle with other cats, and in the long run, he will be fine. He understands what needs to be done and will guide you in your search for the truth. It’s damp out today, and we don’t want to leave him sitting on the dock for longer than need be, so it is best you run along.”

  “The dock?”

  Tansy nodded. “Near the old boathouse. The one no one uses. Watson will be waiting near the entrance. Follow his lead, and you will find the answers you seek.”

  I thanked Tansy and left. I’d hoped to ask her a few more questions about what she might know about Winnie’s death, but she seemed to want me to hurry, so I decided that was what I had better do. When I arrived at the dock, I found a beautiful brown cat waiting for me. He was thin based on his overall size, but I supposed that if he’d been ill, that would account for it.

  “Watson, I presume?”

  “Meow.”

  I bent down and scratched the longhaired cat beneath his chin. “I’m Cait. I guess we’ll be working together for the next little while.”

  The cat began to purr loudly.

  “I’m anxious to get started, but the past has shown that these things take time. I’m supposed to help out at the bookstore today. You’re welcome to come along if that’s okay.”

  The cat got up and trotted down the dock toward the bookstore, which seemed to indicate to me that he was just fine with my plan. As soon as we arrived, I let Watson in. I introduced him to Tara and Cassie before he trotted over and curled up on one of the sofas we provided for our customers. He fell asleep within minutes. The poor guy must be feeling the effects of his illness.

  I glanced toward the cat lounge. Tansy had said that Watson wasn’t contagious, so I decided to let him nap here at the store rather than taking him home.

  “So this is a Tansy cat?” Cassie asked.

  I nodded. “His name is Watson, and Tansy assures me that he will help me find Winnie’s killer.”

  “Any news on that front?” Tara asked.

  I filled them in on what Finn had shared with me that morning.

  “We should have a Scooby meeting tonight,” Cassie suggested.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” I agreed. “Cody is coming in on the five o’clock ferry. I’ll need to pick him up, but we can meet at the cabin at six.”

  “Six works for me,” Cassie assured me.

  “I’ll pick up some takeout for dinner,” Tara added.

  “We should call to invite Finn and Siobhan,” Cassie said. “Danny too, if he can get away from the bar.”

  After we briefly discussed who would call whom, I unpacked a box of new releases that had just come in while Tara and Cassie got the coffee bar ready for the first ferry of the day. During the summer, the bookstore tended to be busy all day, but during the off-season, the flow of customers more often correlated to the coming and going of the ferries that docked just across from our front door.

  “Did you remember to order the Christmas decorations we talked about?” I asked Tara as I dusted the Halloween village we’d set up at the beginning of Octob
er. The villages Tara created for each season had become so popular, I knew that there were return customers who stopped by for no other reason than because they’d been enchanted by the tiny representations of a Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas town.

  “I did, including the ski lodge and the chairlift for the Christmas village,” Tara answered.

  “The haunted carousel has been a huge hit this month,” Cassie informed us. “The haunted carnival was one of the most popular parts of the Halloween village last year, but now, with the carousel, it seems to have taken over as everyone’s favorite. Not that the trick-or-treat village isn’t still popular, especially with the younger kids.”

  “Are we still doing home by the sea for our Thanksgiving theme?” I asked Tara.

  “We are. I have a new dock that is really awesome, but mostly, the scene will feature the same country homes as last year. Let’s not forget to order the specialty syrups for both holidays. The pumpkin lattes and cinnamon teas are selling as well as always this month.”

  Deciding to move Watson to the cat lounge before the first ferry arrived, I picked him up, carried him into the adjoining room, and introduced him to the other three cats in attendance today. He sniffed them briefly, jumped up onto one of the sofas, and went back to sleep. I felt bad that the kitty was sick and hoped that he’d feel better soon, but I was concerned that trying to solve a murder with a sick cat as a helper was going to be pretty pointless. A lot of the cats I worked with didn’t get started right away, so I supposed after the crowd from the first ferry cleared out, I’d take him home, introduce him to Max, give him his meds, and hope he’d be feeling better by the time I got home that evening.

  When I returned to the coffee bar, Lexi Michaels was standing at the counter chatting with Tara, who was assembling a pumpkin latte.

  “Morning, Cait,” Lexi greeted me.

  “Hi, Lexi.”

  “That was quite the presentation last night,” she commented. “Did you know Winifred Westminster was going to tell everyone that she knew who’d killed Amy?”