Dead in the Water (Kate Ryan Mysteries Book 10) (4 page)

“Oy.” I hung my head while Hannah continued to laugh.

“How about a nice romantic cruise on Lake Superior?” he said.

I could feel him watching me intently. I lifted my head. “A cruise…What?”

“Imagine,” he said wistfully. “You and Maggie on the high seas—”

“Of Lake Superior?” I looked at Hannah; even she looked skeptical. I was glad for that, anyway.

“You’ll take a drive up to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula. Then go aboard
The Great Lakes Queen
for her maiden voyage. You’ll have a romantic cabin. Champagne, caviar, the works.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, rubbing my sternum.

“Wait a minute,” Hannah said thoughtfully. “I think I know what you’re talking about. I heard an alderman talking about this. Something new for the Great Lakes tourism. Am I right?”

“Yes,” Matt said proudly. “And I just happen to know the owner of the ship.” He sat back and preened like a cat. “Simon Merriweather.”

“Simon Merriweather?” I asked.

“You know him?”

“Of course, I do. He owns an inn in New England. I was out there a year or so ago when I was a photographer. It was a screwy week. All sorts of family problems.” I remembered that week now. Simon’s cousin Helen was killed. There was blackmail, family skeletons, stolen bonds. But through all that mess, Maggie was there. I started opening my heart that cold March week in New England.

“Hellloo. Earth to Kate,” Matt said, rapping his knuckles on the table.

“Oh, sorry. I was remembering the week in New England,” I said. “Maggie was there, helping me as she always has. I really started falling in love with her then.”

Hannah smiled. “Margaret told me of the week. She spoke of it often. I believe she felt the same way.”

“I had no idea you knew Simon,” I said to Matt. “How did you meet?”

“He knows a friend of a friend. And when he came here to talk to the powers that be downtown in City Hall about his idea, he came to the restaurant and introduced himself. He’s quite a character.”

“I wonder why he never tried to contact me,” I said with a shrug. “So tell me about this cruise again. Now that I know Simon is involved, it intrigues me.”

“Well, he said he had the idea from a friend, who thought it would be a great business for the Great Lakes. Apparently, this fellow worked for cruises in other areas, Lake Huron and that. So when that went over well, he decided to come here, but he needed a partner with money. I suppose Simon, who was a friend, as well, would be a good candidate. Simon is a silent partner. And I guess it worked,” Matt leaned in then, “which brings me to my idea. The maiden voyage is this weekend. They’re leaving the port in Michigan and traveling Lake Superior, spending a day in the Duluth area before docking back in Sault Ste. Marie. I’m told the ships are like the Wendella here in Chicago.”

“I get it. I’ve been on those cruises, they’re fun. You get dinner, drinks…” I said thoughtfully.

“Well, this is a bit bigger to accommodate five staterooms. It’s très expensive!” Matt said with a wave of his hand. “And I know I can get you the premier stateroom. What do you think?”

I thought about it for a moment. Proposing marriage to Maggie on the deck of a luxury liner? Well, on Lake Superior, but what the hell. It would be romantic—champagne, a warm moonlit night under starry skies.

“Okay,” I said, slapping the table. “Let’s do it.”

“Wonderful!” Hannah announced, raising her drink. “It will be romantic and such a surprise.”

Matt agreed. “Champagne and a romantic proposal of marriage.”

“I may need help on the proposal part,” I said with a laugh.

“I could feed you the lines when the time comes,” Hannah offered with a maniacal grin. “For moral support.”

“No, I can handle it. Thanks, though.” Although now that Hannah put that idea out in the universe…I glanced at her enticing grin. “No, I can do this. I need to do this.” I truly wished I’d get some conviction in my tone.

It did sound romantic. I can be romantic. What could go wrong?

Chapter 4

With all the talk of cruises and engagement rings, and hell, meeting Simon Merriweather again, I had completely forgotten about Phil Bledsoe—God forgive me. Hannah called the office and had Costello meet us at Matt’s. I called Mr. Bledsoe; he was on his way.

“A little early, isn’t it?” Costello called out when she arrived thirty minutes later.

“Oh, it’s the middle of the day,” Hannah said, waving her off.

Costello laughed as she sat next to Hannah. “I’m starving.”

“Matt’s preparing a small luncheon for us,” Hannah said with enthusiasm.

“Maureen!” Matt called out. “How wonderful. What can I get you?”

“I suppose a Guinness. It’s good to see ya, Matt.”

“Thanks. Kate, refill?”

“No, thanks,” I said.

When Matt walked to the bar, I turned to Costello; just then, Phil Bledsoe walked up to the table.

“Good afternoon,” he said.

Costello pulled over a chair from another table for him.

“How did everything go?” he asked as he joined us.

“We were just going to discuss it.” I regarded Costello. “Did you come up with anything?”

“Not really,” Costello said. “I asked a few questions. Of course, nobody heard or saw anything. Four months later, it’s not surprising. It really appears, Mr. Bledsoe, that your partner was killed for no apparent reason.”

Phil dejectedly sat back. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“What was his personal life like?” I asked, ignoring the grumbling noise from my stomach.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Was he married?” Costello asked.

“No, he was single. Didn’t date much.” Phil laughed quietly. “Tech guys usually don’t get the girl. Or the guy.”

“No family here?” I asked, looking at Hannah, who pulled out her trusty notebook, then pouted severely when she realized her beloved fountain pen had run out of ink. She sadly pulled out an ordinary boring pen and took notes.

“He was from Ohio. His family still lives there. He had a brother and sister. Parents still living, I think. Chad didn’t talk much about family or anything, really, except science and inventing things.”

“He was an inventor?” Hannah looked over her glasses. “Like what?”

Phil laughed then. “His favorite accomplishment, so he told me, was putting a small motor under a skateboard. He was ten years old.” He sat forward then, looking very excited. “His older cousin worked for a contractor, and they used wheelbarrows all day long. Chad invented this, this thing, so the guys could stand on the motorized skateboard, then propel the wheelbarrows. It was quicker than walking back and forth with them.”

“Ingenious,” Hannah said thoughtfully.

“And did it work?” I asked.

“For a while, until one of the workers drove it into a pond.” Phil shrugged. “Insurance,” he said by way of an explanation.

I nearly laughed at Costello’s blank expression as she watched him.

“But Chad always had his hands in something new.” Phil laughed sadly. “He was a genius and an egotist. Loved to show off all his inventions.”

“Were you guys working on anything recently?” I asked.

“Nothing major. We were working on a couple of minor projects.” Phil shrugged in a helpless gesture. “So did you find anything out from your friend at the precinct?”

“Pretty much the same as Costello. Not much. But I was able to look at the tape and take notes from the file and the autopsy report.”

“Good, Maggie might be able to help. She called the office. I told her to meet us here. Said your cell was off,” Costello said. I saw the smug grin.

“Crap.” I grabbed my phone from my back pocket. “I think I sat on it and…” I looked up to see Phil Bledsoe watching me with a slight grin. “I—”

“Don’t like cellphones?” he asked. “Not a tech person?”

“Now that is an understatement,” Hannah mumbled, putting her hand to her hair. “Phil, may I call you Phil?”

“Certainly.”

“Would you like something to drink?” Hannah asked. “Matt is doing wicked things with Mr. Collins.” She stopped and let out a nervous laugh. “You know what I mean…”

Phil laughed quietly. “Yes, ma’am. I do.”

“And you must call me Hannah and Kate and Maureen, respectively. We insist.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll be right back. I will have that Tom Collins if Matt comes by.”

We watched him walk toward the restroom.

“The poor guy looked like he was about to collapse,” I said.

“I really feel bad for him,” Costello agreed.

“It had to be horrible to find your friend and business partner with his brains splattered all over the place,” Hannah said, shaking her head while examining her notes. She looked up. “What?”

“Nothing, Miss Marple,” I said. “Thanks for taking notes.”

“You’re welcome, but it isn’t easy using this drab pen,” she said, holding up said pen. “I must remember to keep the ink cartridges in my purse.”

“I had no idea they still made those things,” Costello said, motioning to the pen.

“They really don’t,” Hannah said with a superior grin. “But they do for me.”

“That’s because you paid them a very vulgar amount for a pen,” I said dryly.

“This is not just a pen. It’s a Marlene Dietrich edition. And I bought it for a good cause, you grump. You need food.”

She was right about that; I was starving.

“This looks like a table full of trouble.”

I looked up to see Maggie standing by the table, hands on her hips and her adorable smile spread across her face. She had her long auburn hair pulled back, and when she took off the sunglasses, her sparkling sapphire blue eyes made my heart thump in my chest.

I stood and pulled out a chair, kissing her first, of course. “Hey,” I whispered.

“Hey,” she said with a grin. “Business lunch?”

“Something like that.”

“How was your day, Margaret?” Hannah asked.

“Not too bad. Maureen, how are you? How’s Annabel?” Maggie asked, placing the napkin in her lap.

“I’m doing very well, and so is Annie, thanks for askin’.”

“Fair Maggie!”

I hung my head when Matt called out as he approached the table.

Hannah laughed. “He’s so full of life.”

“He’s full of something,” I said but laughed along with her.

Matt leaned down and kissed Maggie on the cheek. “I’ve missed you. You don’t come by much anymore.”

“The hospital keeps me busy. But I’ve missed you, too, Matt,” Maggie said.

“I find it very rude that the hospital keeps you from me. Why can’t they find a cure for everything?” he said, shaking his head while he set the drinks in front of Hannah and Costello. “What can I get you, sweetie?” he asked Maggie.

“Just an iced tea for now, thanks.”

“Everybody else set?” he asked. Costello and I waved him off.

“Oh, Phil wants one of these,” Hannah said, holding up her drink.

“Got it. Where is Phil?” he asked as he walked back to the bar.

“Bathroom. Oh, here he is.”

We all watched the poor guy walk out of the restroom; I was sure he was thrilled. As Phil sat down, he noticed Maggie. “Hello.”

“This is Maggie Winfield,” I said. “Phil Bledsoe, our client.”

“Oh, nice to meet you,” Maggie said, offering her hand across the table.

“Same here,” Phil said.

“So what have I missed?” Maggie asked.

I saw Phil’s confused looked and explained, “We’re all partners, Phil.”

“Ah, okay.” He smiled at Maggie. “Do they let you carry firearms? Or don’t you want to?”

Maggie laughed and looked at Hannah’s pouting face. “I don’t, but they would. My aunt does, but they won’t.”

“In a nutshell.” I laughed at the accurate explanation, which had Hannah narrowing her eyes at me over her Tom Collins. I blew her a kiss.

Matt appeared with the drinks, and a server stood behind him with a huge tray. I had no idea what he prepared for us, but I didn’t care. I was starving.

“A nice fresh salad. Some warm bread. Nice and light while you discuss…” Matt looked sick as he realized what he had said.

“It’s all right, Matt. It’s what we’re all thinking.” Phil chuckled sadly. “While we discuss murder.”

Well. He was right.

Costello and Phil proceeded to bring Maggie up to speed while I played tug-of-war with Hannah over the basket of warm bread and tried to listen to the conversation.

“So if nothing was missing, how can they call it a robbery?” Maggie asked.

“That’s the point,” I said.

“It’s so irritating,” Phil said, sounding and looking every bit of it.

I gently pushed the basket of bread toward him. I found that warm bread helped with irritability.

“It says in the report that you told the police you hadn’t done an inventory in almost a year,” Costello reminded him. “And if you can’t be sure if anything is missing, that’s why, I’m guessin’.”

Phil stared at his plate of salad, but he did pick up a slice of bread.

“Phil,” I said quietly. “Look at it from their point of view. No fingerprints, no evidence. No…” I stopped when I thought of something. “Costello, can I see Hannah’s notes?”

Costello handed it to me. I could tell all eyes were on me while I looked through the pages. I glanced up to see Hannah looking decided guilty.

“Hannah?” I asked cautiously.

“What?” she asked innocently.

Maggie noticed it, as well. “Aunt Hannah, what’s wrong? You look very guilty right now.”

“What did you do?” Costello asked with a wide grin. “I’m sure it’s wonderfully illegal.”

“It is not,” Hannah said. “At least I don’t think it is.”

“Hannah, darling,” I said calmly. “Please tell us what you did. I won’t be angry.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Swear on something sacred,” Hannah said slowly.

I gritted my teeth for a moment. “I swear on my love for your niece, I will not be angry.”

She grinned then. “Okay. I believe you.”

I could tell Phil had no clue what to think other than we were an odd bunch. We watched as Hannah pulled out her digital camera.

“You know I took pictures of the autopsy,” she started.

“You did?” Maggie asked; the gleeful tone in her voice gave me great pause.