All I Want For Christmas is Fudge (A Candy-Coated Mystery with Recipes Book 4) (8 page)

“Oh” was all I could say in answer. I sipped the coffee. “That’s why Charlene knew it was me when I called.”

“Yeah,” Gail said. “I saw you pulling someone out of the water. I would have come out sooner, but I had to wait for Emily to get in to cover the shop.” She paused and watched as they zipped the woman up in a black body bag. “How did you know she was there?”

“Mal,” I replied, pointing at my dog. “She’s got a good sniffer.”

“She smelled her from the pier?”

“Yes,” I said. “Crazy, right?”

“Any idea who she is?” Gail asked. “I couldn’t see from the shop.”

“Ladies, no details until I get your stories,” Rex said. He drew his dark eyebrows together in a look of concern.

“Right,” Gail said, standing. “I’ve got to get back.”

“I’ll be in the coffee shop in a few,” Rex said. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome,” Gail said. “Take care, Allie.”

“I will, thanks,” I said. We watched Gail walk back to the coffee shop. She was probably ten years older than me—so in her mid to late thirties—and pretty in her black slacks and navy blue top. Her shiny brown hair was cut in a smooth bob and hung just above her shoulders so that it swung as she walked.

Rex squatted down beside me and absently ran his fingers over Mal’s back as he looked out over the crowded marina. More people had begun to emerge from the boats to prep for a day of sailing. “Do you know who you pulled out of the lake?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I sort of recognize her, though. Is she a local?”

“Yeah,” he said, then looked at me. “Marcy Brandon. Her family’s been on the island for generations. They’re members of the yacht club. In fact, see that yacht—third one down on the most expensive pier?”

I glanced across the boats. “The one that says
Daddy’s Girl
on the side?”

“Yes,” Rex said with a short nod. “That’s her family’s boat.”

“You said she might have been faceup because she was dead when she hit the water.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “Do you think she was killed on the boat and pushed in?”

“I’m not going to speculate,” Rex said.

“She had a nice cocktail dress on,” I said, then closed my eyes as I pictured the color-blocked silk dress. “I bet it was designer.” I paused and looked at Rex. “She wasn’t very old, was she?”

“She’s around your age,” he replied. “She was in Paige Jessop’s class in school.”

“Oh,” I said, and hugged the blanket around me. “I don’t know why, but it’s worse when someone your age ends up dead.”

“Yeah,” Rex said with his mouth firm.

“I tried to save her,” I said, and clung to the coffee cup as if it would make things right. The EMTs hefted the body on the stretcher and pulled it toward the ambulance.

“It was too late,” he said, his tone low and soothing. “We’re going to need your clothes. Shane will be here soon. He’ll probably want to take samples from your hair and your nails and such.”

“Right,” I said, making a face. “I should be used to this by now. But I’m not.” I looked at Rex. “Finding all these bodies, I feel like I have really bad timing. I mean, an hour later and someone else would have found her. You know?”

“Maybe you have good timing,” he said. “Maybe the killers have bad timing.”

I sent him a half smile. “Thanks, but I don’t think there’s anyone on the island who believes that.” Sipping my coffee to try to get warm, I watched them place the stretcher in the ambulance and George waved as they headed around to the front of the vehicle. I lifted my hand in a short wave.

“You said you left around six
AM
,” Rex said. “Did you go out the back and down the alley or out the front?”

“We walked out the front because Frances had come in already to watch the desk,” I said.

“Did you see anyone?”

I drew my eyebrows together. “No, it was too early. Most of the shop owners don’t even think about coming in until seven. I think I saw a pair of joggers go by, but I didn’t recognize them. They were probably tourists.”

“So, only a pair of joggers? Did you walk on the fort side or the harbor side of Main?”

“Mal and I walked down the fort side of Main toward the marina. I crossed at the lawn in front of the fort because I thought it would be nice to see all the boats that have come in for the weekend yacht race.” My gaze went to the boats. People were out starting up motors, taxiing out of the marina or raising sails, hopping on the dock to untie the boat, then hopping back on as the boats left the marina and headed out to the lake. “Is it okay that they leave?”

Rex looked at the busy docks. “There’s not much I can do without a warrant. They’ll be back tonight for tomorrow’s race.” He turned back to me. “Did you see anyone on the pier? On any boats?”

“I’m sorry,” I said with a shake of my head. “I don’t remember seeing anyone. I remember thinking the flowers in the flower beds along the walk were lovely when Mal stopped to do her business. I remember listening to the waves lap against the boats and thinking it would be a nice sound to go to sleep to. I wondered if I should save up for a boat. Not a yacht,” I said. “There’s no way I could afford that. Do you have a boat?”

“A fishing boat,” he said. “I sold my sailing boat.”

I blinked at the thought of Rex sailing. I suppose when you grow up on an island, you learn about boats pretty fast. Just another thing I missed by growing up in Detroit.

“You were walking by the boats . . .”

“Right,” I said. “Like I said, I saw the coffee shop and thought I’d get Frances some scones. We walked up the side of the pier with the coffee shop. I was almost there when Mal tugged me over to the edge. She wouldn’t go any farther. Sometimes she can be stubborn,” I explained. “I went over to see what she was sniffing at and I looked down and saw the woman in the water. The rest you know.”

Mal barked and raced off. I glanced after her and saw Officer Brown heading our way. Mal greeted him with a happy bark. Officer Brown was a nice guy, younger than Rex and less rugged.

“I’m going to have Charles walk you over to the clinic,” Rex said. “It’ll be easier for Shane to collect evidence without a crowd.” He helped me up. “We’ll contact Jenn and see if she can bring you clean clothes.”

“Okay,” I said. “It’s weird, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Finding that girl in the marina,” I said with a shrug. “Managing to get her on the grass and then having to be looked over like a piece of evidence.”

“I’m sorry, Allie,” Rex said. “It’s a heck of a way to start a day.”

“It seems to be the pattern to my summer,” I said. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go check out the Brandons’ yacht, then see Gail. After that, try to get more people out here to talk to the boaters. Someone saw something.”

“What about Marcy’s family?”

“When I get a positive ID, I’ll go over with the bad news.”

“What if they’re on the boat? I mean, won’t they wonder why you’re checking out their yacht?”

“Go with Brown,” Rex said. “Leave the investigation to me. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said.

“Good.” Rex handed me off to Officer Brown. “See that she is checked out,” he said. “She’s bleeding.”

I looked down to see blood dripping down my arm from a long scratch that must have happened when I climbed up on shore.

“I’ll take good care of her,” Officer Brown said. His dark green gaze filled with concern as he wrapped his big, warm hand around my elbow. “Come on, Allie. Let’s get you to the clinic.”

Mal barked her agreement. Officer Brown had Mal’s leash in his hand and it was the first time I realized that I hadn’t had Mal’s leash since I jumped into the water. Thankfully, she was a good puppy and hadn’t left me. Frances had been right when she gave Mal to me. I did need someone to look out for me. Then again, my life wouldn’t have been half as exciting without Mal nosing out dead bodies. It made me wonder what kind of clues she’d find next.