constable she had a guest staying in Suite C tonight. She didn’t. It was a lie. Tonight she had no bookings but she did have some extra cleaning up to do. She would wait until it was nearly dark to do her chores.
After an afternoon in the sun, she decided to pour herself a nice cold glass of wine and watch the sun setting over the still water of the bay. She loved her rural view. Rolling green hills in the distance and green flats in the foreground spotted with cattle. This land, as far as she could see, used to belong to one family. Over the years it had been sold off. Some of the land was sold in small parcels and homes had been built. Other parcels were larger and neighboring farmers leased the land to expand their own farms. This was her favorite time of the day. Early evening. She could feel the warmth on her face imprinted from the hot afternoon sun. Audrey always wore her huge sunglasses she didn’t like bright lights. She even watched the sunset with her glasses on.
Audrey decided to empty her and Suite C’s hot tubs and she ran hoses from the spas and released the water. They emptied pretty quickly. They took longer to fill and even longer to heat. Now they would be ready for the guests who were scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon. There was a family of four staying in Suite A and she had a honeymoon couple staying in Suite C. They had both booked for two nights. Then on Wednesday she had another single gentleman booked into Suite C. Audrey had never felt this good. Things were looking up.
C H A P T E R 2 4
Pearl had never had such a busy day. Her phone had not stopped ringing. No one could get down to the waterfront so she had become the town’s information center as to what was going on. Her house was right on the corner and the police had cordoned off the road to the waterfront just past her house. Only the residents who lived on the road were allowed in and out. She had wandered down to the scene with her neighbors earlier in the day. Of course she couldn’t get right up to the water’s edge where the truck had gone in. But she could see all the police cars, fire truck and tow truck and all the goings on there. She had asked a copper if they had found the man. They said no body had been found. Her neighbors told her the police were going door to door asking everyone if they had seen the guy, Doug, anytime after he left the restaurant or in the early hours of the morning. It would seem he had simply disappeared.
She was waiting for the evening news on the telly wondering if the police had new information. She was disappointed. The news just talked about what they already knew. Except they did interview the man’s wife who said they had just separated, and he was upset. She heard he had taken a trip north. She did not know what his plans were. She made it sound as though the man was depressed and maybe he had taken his own life.
Pearl had heard through the gossip grapevine the guy had stayed at Audrey’s suites the night before. She was dying to ring her and find out what he was like and if she knew anything. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. The phone rang and rang and was finally picked up by an answering phone. Obviously Audrey was not talking.
Pearl had recognized the man who Audrey was having dinner with last night as the same man on the telly. It was Doug Blackmore. Maybe Audrey was the last person to see him alive. The police always suspected that person in a murder case. She wondered if the police had questioned Audrey. She couldn’t imagine Audrey had anything to do with his disappearance. Audrey was a bit of a recluse but she seemed friendly enough to all the locals. She had also been extremely welcoming to the Maori locals. Some had worked for her when she was renovating the property and others had stayed at the suites on occasion.
After an afternoon in the sun, she decided to pour herself a nice cold glass of wine and watch the sun setting over the still water of the bay. She loved her rural view. Rolling green hills in the distance and green flats in the foreground spotted with cattle. This land, as far as she could see, used to belong to one family. Over the years it had been sold off. Some of the land was sold in small parcels and homes had been built. Other parcels were larger and neighboring farmers leased the land to expand their own farms. This was her favorite time of the day. Early evening. She could feel the warmth on her face imprinted from the hot afternoon sun. Audrey always wore her huge sunglasses she didn’t like bright lights. She even watched the sunset with her glasses on.
Audrey decided to empty her and Suite C’s hot tubs and she ran hoses from the spas and released the water. They emptied pretty quickly. They took longer to fill and even longer to heat. Now they would be ready for the guests who were scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon. There was a family of four staying in Suite A and she had a honeymoon couple staying in Suite C. They had both booked for two nights. Then on Wednesday she had another single gentleman booked into Suite C. Audrey had never felt this good. Things were looking up.
C H A P T E R 2 4
Pearl had never had such a busy day. Her phone had not stopped ringing. No one could get down to the waterfront so she had become the town’s information center as to what was going on. Her house was right on the corner and the police had cordoned off the road to the waterfront just past her house. Only the residents who lived on the road were allowed in and out. She had wandered down to the scene with her neighbors earlier in the day. Of course she couldn’t get right up to the water’s edge where the truck had gone in. But she could see all the police cars, fire truck and tow truck and all the goings on there. She had asked a copper if they had found the man. They said no body had been found. Her neighbors told her the police were going door to door asking everyone if they had seen the guy, Doug, anytime after he left the restaurant or in the early hours of the morning. It would seem he had simply disappeared.
She was waiting for the evening news on the telly wondering if the police had new information. She was disappointed. The news just talked about what they already knew. Except they did interview the man’s wife who said they had just separated, and he was upset. She heard he had taken a trip north. She did not know what his plans were. She made it sound as though the man was depressed and maybe he had taken his own life.
Pearl had heard through the gossip grapevine the guy had stayed at Audrey’s suites the night before. She was dying to ring her and find out what he was like and if she knew anything. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. The phone rang and rang and was finally picked up by an answering phone. Obviously Audrey was not talking.
Pearl had recognized the man who Audrey was having dinner with last night as the same man on the telly. It was Doug Blackmore. Maybe Audrey was the last person to see him alive. The police always suspected that person in a murder case. She wondered if the police had questioned Audrey. She couldn’t imagine Audrey had anything to do with his disappearance. Audrey was a bit of a recluse but she seemed friendly enough to all the locals. She had also been extremely welcoming to the Maori locals. Some had worked for her when she was renovating the property and others had stayed at the suites on occasion.
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