Coral Reef Views by Vicki Delany

Author:Vicki Delany
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459823518
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2019-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

NINE

HENRY DROPPED US off at the Ocean Breeze, and Dad and I headed for my apartment. We found a note from Mom saying she’d gone back to the beach. Dad went straight to the fridge and got himself a beer.

“You can’t go—” I began.

“But I can.” He popped the cap. “And I did. Paul Saunders was at Erasmus’s house on Wednesday afternoon around five. He asked to speak to Claude Erasmus, but the guards wouldn’t let him in. They seem to have a habit of doing that. Not at all friendly.”

“It’s not their job to be friendly.”

“Paul refused to leave.”

I didn’t mention that that sounded exactly like my father himself.

“He yelled and shouted and made all kinds of threats. The guards told him to go away or they’d call the police.”

“How do you know this?”

“Neighboring maid told me. One thing rich people don’t understand, Ashley, is that their staff often don’t like them. They’re happy to spread gossip when they can. If not about their own employers, then about their friends’ employers. I spoke to a gardener from next door and a maid from farther down. The gardener was working on the flower beds next to the wall. He heard it all.”

“Heard. It could have been someone else then.”

“The maid saw Paul. She’d been at the store, getting ingredients for dinner. She walked by when Paul was kicking up a fuss. She made a positive ID.” Dad beamed at me. “It was him, all right.”

“And this maid just happened to be standing outside when you arrived today?”

“Of course not. I rang the bell and asked to speak to anyone who might have information. I didn’t say I was with the police.”

“But you implied it. You can’t do that, Dad.”

“The other houses on that street don’t have the security Erasmus has. I wonder why he’s hiding behind those walls and guards.”

To get away from nosy Canadians, I thought but didn’t say.

“Give your friend Alan a call. He’ll want to know this.”

I had to admit Dad was right. The police would want to know that Paul Saunders had paid a call on Claude Erasmus in the hours before he died.

“Did this maid see Paul leave?”

“No. She just walked by, her ears flapping, and went to work. Are you going to call Alan, or shall I?”

“I’ll do it,” I said. “But first, you can’t be making a nuisance of yourself on the street, Dad. The guards at Erasmus’s house would have been within their rights to call the police.”

“I would have left by then.”

“Henry said you met Mrs. Erasmus?”

Dad smiled. “Such a nice lady. Pretty too. She came out to tell me her husband wasn’t at home. I asked her about Wednesday and she said she wasn’t in when Paul called. She knew nothing about him or what business he might have with Claude.”

“I’ll call Alan now,” I said. “Why don’t you go and sit with Mom for a while? You’re neglecting her on this vacation, you know.”

“She doesn’t mind,” he said.

I didn’t reply.

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