Killer Colada: a Danger Cove Cocktail Mystery (12 page)

"Did you see him again? The day after, when Pandora was killed?"

She shook her head. "No. I wasn't in that day." She stared at the photo in my hand warily. "You don't think he'll come back, do you?"

"No. I don't think so. Did you see anyone else hanging around recently? A dark-haired woman with glasses, perhaps?"

"Er…no, I don't think so."

"Thanks very much for your help."

"You're welcome."

She shut the door, and I heard a lock turn and a bolt engage behind it.

The next house was home to a retired couple who'd been out of town for a couple of days during the Labor Day holiday, so they hadn't noticed Ian or anyone else in the neighborhood. And there was no answer from the next. I made a note of the number so we could revisit at a later date if we needed to. Then I came to Pandora's immediate neighbor on her left.

The door was opened by a stout woman wearing a long flowing caftan dress in a myriad of bright colors, probably in her late sixties. Her hair was silvery blonde, braided over one shoulder.

I went through my spiel again.

Her hand went to her throat. "Oh, it's so awful what happened to Pandora. Poor, poor lady. She didn't have a happy life. What with Jenna disappearing, and then losing touch with Ian. She hardly went out of the house." She leaned forward a little closer. "It's true what they say that money can't buy you happiness. Why don't you come in, dear, and we can chat?"

"Thanks." I followed her through the hallway into a kitchen at the rear that looked the exact same layout as Pandora's but was far more modern and updated.

"Have a seat. You must have tea and something to eat." She clapped her hands together. "I don't get nearly enough visitors these days, and I've got a new quiche recipe I just worked up that I've been dying to try out on someone." She hobbled to the kettle and flicked it on before I could refuse. "I'm Lillian, by the way."

I walked closer to the patio door and glanced out into her garden. It was home to an array of planters, bushes, and trees, with an abundance of color, which was obviously immaculately cared for. In front of me was a five-foot fence identical to Pandora's that separated Lillian's property from the wooded area at the rear. I looked over to my right. From here I could see the second story of Pandora's house and the six-foot boundary fence. Lillian clattered around in the kitchen behind me.

"You must have tea in a proper teapot," she said to me. "All of these convenience tea bags just don't taste the same. Is Earl Grey okay?"

"That would be lovely, thanks."

She carried a china teapot to the kitchen table, then collected some matching china cups from the cupboard. "Have a seat."

"Thank you. This is very kind of you."

"Not at all. It's nice to have some young company. The quiche won't be long." She brought a jug of milk and a sugar bowl to the table and sat down, patting the chair next to her.

I followed suit and handed her the photo of Ian. "This is Ian, Pandora's son. Do you remember seeing him visiting with her lately?"

She took the photo from me and eyed it with a sad expression before handing it back. "I remember Ian. And Jenna, of course." She poured steaming liquid through a strainer into each delicate cup. "Pandora moved in next door just after me. We were great friends when our children were younger. Our kids were the same age and used to have playdates with each other. And we were both into holistic treatments too. Way before it got more acceptable. Pandora trained as a nurse, you know, before discovering more natural therapies and turning to that. We both used to go to the Mind, Body, and Soul conference in New York together each year. Then, of course, Jenna disappeared, and everything changed. She never really left the house after that, and she didn't like having visitors. I'd say hello to her if I saw her outside, but she didn't like to engage in conversation anymore." She took a sip of her tea. "I couldn't imagine losing my daughter like that and just not knowing what had happened."

"But Pandora was convinced Tim Baxtor killed her?"

"Oh, yes. Jenna was going to break up with him, and he was obsessed with her."

"Do you think Tim killed Jenna, too?"

"Yes. Jenna and Pandora were very close. Jenna never went through that rebellious stage that most kids go through. They were more like sisters than mother and daughter." She took another sip of tea and leaned closer. "There's no way Jenna would've just left home without telling Pandora about it." She shook her head adamantly. "No way. I'm positive of it."

"It must've been a terrible time for everyone."

"Terrible," she repeated. "So many people were looking for her. The whole town couldn't believe it could happen. Pandora had a kind of breakdown, understandably, really."

"I heard she publicly accused Tim Baxtor of having something to do with Jenna's disappearance, but there was no evidence."

"Yes. That lovely Detective Ohlsen investigated, but he couldn't find anything helpful. It was like Jenna just disappeared into a puff of smoke." She fiddled with the ends of her braid. "Anyway, Pandora never got over it. Her relationship with Ian became strained. I felt a bit sorry for him, if I'm honest. How could he ever live up to the shadow of Jenna when Pandora couldn't stop thinking about her?"

"And how did Ian and Pandora get along before Jenna went missing?" I thought about what Jenna's best friend, Melanie, had told me.

She hesitated for a moment, staring into her teacup. "Ian wasn't planned. There was a six-year age gap between him and Jenna, and reading between the lines, I think Pandora was happy with one child. She always wanted a girl, and, like I said, Jenna and Pandora both doted on one another. Pandora never seemed to bond with Ian, and I always got the feeling that he was left out a bit. Sometimes, I guess it's hard not to have favorites with your children. When her husband, Alan, was alive, it wasn't so obvious. Alan would take Ian out fishing and playing sports and so on, while Pandora took Jenna to dance and watched her cheerleading practices. When Alan died, Ian was lost, and…well, I don't think he ever got Pandora's full attention."

A timer in the shape of an apple sounded. Lillian retrieved the quiche from the oven, which wafted delicious aromas all over the kitchen, before putting it on the side to cool. "I know this sounds horrible," she said, sitting down again, "but I don't think Pandora really knew what to do with a little boy. All she ever wanted was a girl."

"So Ian left home after Jenna disappeared?"

"Yes. After about a year, he left for the university in Seattle. I don't think they kept in touch after that. Which is strange because he did visit her the day before she was…" She fanned her face with a horrified look. "The day before she was
murdered!
"

I leaned forward. "You saw him?"

"Oh, yes. It was in the morning. I was just getting the post from my box outside and saw him park there in some big red car. I couldn't believe it after all this time. He hadn't changed that much, really, just got a bit taller, so I recognized him right away. But I hoped that they were going to repair their relationship. It's never too late, is it? And when you start getting older, you think about mending burned bridges and getting back in touch with loved ones you've lost contact with."

I nodded, encouraging her to continue.

She stood up and got a couple of plates from the cupboard and a couple of forks from the drawer, closing it with her hip. She sliced two hefty chunks of quiche and brought the laden plates back to the table. "Go on. Taste it, and tell me what you think." She looked at me with excited expectation.

I took a bite and went to quiche heaven. "Delicious."

She gave a pleased nod, took a bite of her own, and chewed with a thoughtful look. "Hmmm, maybe a little more paprika and garlic next time." Resting her fork on the plate, she said, "Anyway, where was I?"

"You said you saw Ian."

"Oh, yes. I was reading the newspaper in my lounge and glanced out of the window about half an hour later, and his car was gone, so I'm not sure if they managed to sort anything out between them in that short space of time. I hope so. You don't want to go taking your disputes to the grave, do you?"

"Did you see him come back the next day at all?" I took another bite.

"No. But I did hear an argument between Pandora and Tim Baxtor."

"Really?" I nearly choked as I sucked in the mouthful of quiche. I coughed, eyes watering. I took a sip of tea to swallow away the remaining crumbs lodged in my throat.

"Yes. I was in my garden, trying to get rid of the whitefly on my rhododendrons. They've been terrible this year. Her kitchen door must've been open at the time, because I heard some of their conversation quite clearly, although Pandora was slurring her words a lot and sounded very drunk."

"What were they arguing about?"

She closed her eyes, as if reliving the memory. "Well, Pandora said she knew he'd killed Jenna and she wanted him to finally admit it to her so she could rest in peace. She wanted him to tell her what he'd done with Jenna's remains so she could have a proper burial. Then Tim called her crazy and denied having anything to do with Jenna's disappearance."

"Did Pandora mention having found any evidence that Tim had actually murdered her?"

"Not that I could hear." Lillian opened her eyes. "She just kept pleading with him to tell her what had happened to her daughter, and he kept saying she was wrong and to leave him alone, or he'd get his lawyer onto her again." She nodded conspiratorially. "But I think Tim Baxtor did kill Jenna and got away with it."

I thought about how awful it must be to think your daughter's killer was not only walking around free and living his life to the full, but doing it right in front of you in the same town. "Why didn't Pandora move away? It must've been hell for her knowing Tim was still in town."

"She couldn't, dear. Even though she believed Tim did kill Jenna, there was still that little sliver of hope that she was wrong. She couldn't move in case Jenna ever did come back."

I thought about the bedroom of a young woman, which was left exactly the same as when Jenna had disappeared. I thought about the longing Pandora must've felt. I could picture her sitting on Jenna's bed, surrounded by her things, picking up the photos of her and staring into eyes that were full of life, sobbing her heart out, desperately wanting to find out the truth.

"What else did you hear between Tim and Pandora?" I asked.

"Nothing much, really. He told her to leave him alone, and then everything went quiet. I assumed he'd left, but I didn't see him go. Then, of course, I heard about the awful news. He must've become so angry he killed her to shut her up once and for all."

"If you were in the garden, did you see or hear anyone else? Perhaps someone climbing over her rear fence?"

"No. I came inside after it got quiet, because I was going to go and check up on Pandora. Make sure she was okay. I hesitated awhile because we hadn't really spoken in years. Like I said, she was a recluse. And she was a very private person. So…I was worried about being rebuffed, really, and I suppose I hesitated a bit too long. I keep wondering what would've happened if I'd marched over there right away. Could I have saved her? It's something that will haunt me."

"I feel the same," I said sadly.

"I was just opening the front door when I saw you and Ruby Fournier approaching Pandora's front door. I guessed you had an appointment with her, so I thought everything must be okay. It wasn't until I saw the ambulance and police arrive that I found out what had happened." She wiped away a tear that sprang into her eye. "Awful, awful business. And Pandora never did find out what happened to Jenna."

"Did you see anyone else suspicious near Pandora's house? A brunette with long hair and glasses, perhaps?"

"No, I didn't, dear, just Tim and Ian, like I said."

"Did you know Pandora was ill?"

"Ill? No, she never said anything to me, but then why would she?" She made a hopeless sighing sound. "I just wish she would've let me help her." She sniffed and reached for a box of tissues on the table.

"Did you tell the police about Ian turning up and the argument you overheard with Pandora and Tim?"

"Yes. I got the impression that the argument I told them about, and the fact that you and Ruby saw Tim leaving that day, was what made them arrest Tim."

I thanked her and carried on down the rest of the street, but none of the other neighbors had witnessed anything useful. I waited by Vernon's car for him to return so we could swap information. He was on the phone as he approached me. He leaned on the hood of the car, speaking quietly before he hung up.

"That was my contact. The computer system at Baxtor's Pharmacy is linked to a central medical wholesaler's system. Apparently, when they fill a prescription, it automatically places an order for a replacement, so they never have to bother with reordering. At 3:59 p.m. on the day Pandora was killed, someone using Donna's log-in password filled a prescription for Augmentin, so she must've been in the shop, just like she said."

"We can strike Donna off as a possible suspect, then." I told him what I'd discovered from the neighbors I spoke to. Vernon had found a couple who'd also spotted Tim Baxtor leaving Pandora's when Ruby and I turned up, but no one who'd noticed anyone else suspicious hanging around.