Wave's End: A Port Stirling Mystery, Book 9 by Kay Jennings

Author:Kay Jennings [Jennings, Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paris Communications
Published: 2025-09-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 21

At 10:30 a.m, Sylvia escorted Sheldon Weinstein into Matt’s office as her boss had requested. They had finished up searching Hagan’s place too late last night for Matt to call Sheldon, and he’d put off this meeting until today, dreading it, but knowing that he had to do it.

“My boyfriend’s here,” Sylvia said, entering holding hands with Sheldon. They were both smiling. I hate this so much, Matt thought.

“Great to see you as always, Sheldon,” Matt said, rising from his desk and coming around it to greet him. “Have a seat.”

Sylvia, without a word, turned and left the office.

“If this is about the fracas I had with Fergus last week at the council meeting, I can explain,” Sheldon started.

“I do want to hear about that,” Matt said. “And I have a couple more questions. Why did you tear into Fergus in public like that? It doesn’t seem like you.”

“He really insulted me, Matt.” Sheldon suddenly looked older, more haggard. “I’ve come to think of Port Stirling as my home, and he made me feel like an outsider again. I just lost my cool and I’m sorry.”

“The two of you are on opposite sides of the proposed development, I understand.”

“Yes, that’s true. Fergus doesn’t want anything to change here. He’s a small-town guy who thinks of his childhood as taking place in Shangri-La, or some place of ideal harmony and peace. He doesn’t want that world to change one iota. But it’s not a realistic view of today’s world, not even in Port Stirling.”

“So, you challenged the no people.”

“I don’t know that challenge is the right word. I just want our town to look at the possibilities of what Philip Sheffield has proposed and not reject it without trying to understand both sides of the issue. Fergus can’t do that.”

“Did you know that Freida Oglethorpe was planning to vote no?”

“Not for certain, but Hagan indicated she was leaning that way.”

“Is that why you called her Thursday night?”

Sheldon visibly withered and shrank back into his chair. His black turtleneck sweater seemed to swallow his neck.

“How do you know I phoned her?”

“We have her cell phone. Your name is one of the last calls she received before we think she was murdered. You need to tell me the truth, Sheldon.”

He cleared his throat. “Yes, I called Freida on Thursday. I’d seen Hagan that morning in his gallery, and he told me that he thought she would vote no.” So, that part of Hagan’s story is true, thought Matt. “I wanted to tell her how I and many of the local businesses felt about the new resort. I thought it might change her mind.”

“Did it?”

“She was evasive. Wouldn’t tell me directly what she was thinking. The call didn’t last very long—she wasn’t much interested in hearing my viewpoint.”

“The call lasted a little over three minutes,” Matt said. “Sounds to me like she gave you a chance to share your thoughts.”

“She listened at first but then cut me off.”

“Did that make you angry? Angry and frustrated like you got with Fergus?”

Sheldon looked at him.

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