Sweet Secrets (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 3) by J A Whiting

Author:J A Whiting [Whiting, J A]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: J A Whiting
Published: 2015-05-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Shirley Banks led the girls in silence through several side streets of South Coveside and stopped at a small, white Cape Code style house. “Here we are.” She unlocked the front door and ushered them into a cozy sunroom at the back of the house. “I apologize for being dramatic, but in a few minutes you’ll understand why.” Shirley invited Jenna and Angie to sit, and then she walked to a bookcase and removed a framed photograph. She handed it to Angie. “This is a photo of me and my mother when I was young. We’re standing in front of our former home. That house stood on this lot. We lost it in a fire and my mother had this Cape house built to replace it.”

Shirley sat down in a soft easy chair across from the girls. “I believe John Turner was responsible for the house fire.”

Angie and Jenna’s mouths hung open.

“I was a teenager when it happened. We barely escaped with our lives.”

“How? Why?” Jenna fumbled for words.

“Your grandmother and my mother were friends.” Shirley gazed out the window into the backyard shrouded in darkness. “I swore I would never talk about this.” She took a deep breath. “The time has come to tell what I know. You have to be sure that you want to hear it. It could still be dangerous to know this information.”

Angie’s stomach lurched. She glanced at Jenna out of the corner of her eye to see if she might want to back out of this impromptu meeting. Her sister’s jaw was set and her upper body leaned forward. Jenna’s determination to find out the truth despite the risk helped to diminish Angie’s fear … but only slightly.

Shirley went on. “Your grandmother believed that she owned part of the land on Robin’s Point. She was right.”

Angie reached for her sister’s hand.

“How do you know this?” Jenna asked.

“The summer I was eighteen, I worked for John Turner. I thought he was ancient, but he must have been around seventy. He worked all the time. I did typing of legal briefs and business contracts for him. The Victorian has a carriage house behind it. It’s not an original building. The carriage house that was there was in disrepair so it was torn down and Turner had a new structure built to resemble the old one. He had an office on the second floor where he’d meet with business partners, politicians, sometimes clients.”

“Why didn’t he just work from the house?” Angie questioned.

Shirley chuckled. “Turner was a private man. He didn’t want the servants eavesdropping on his business.” She made eye contact with both girls. “I’m sure you’ve figured out that Mr. John Turner’s dealings were not always above-board. He cheated people, he controlled politicians, he made sure his business deals would pay off big time. He didn’t care who he hurt.”

“He allowed you to work in the carriage house office?” Jenna pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear.

Shirley snorted. “Heaven’s no. I came to pick up work and took it back to my house to complete it.

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