“Susan…”

“Look, none of that is important. What is important is that Donald told her…”

“… in a moment of passion?” Kathleen said, grinning.

“Possibly in a moment of passion, but more likely in a moment of bragging. He told her that he knew a way to put Perry Island Care Center out of business.”

“What?”

“You heard me! He said he knew a way to put the care center out of business.”

“So that the land would be available for his mother to develop.”

“For someone to develop. Apparently there was a bit of competition between Donald and his mother and he had even bigger plans for Perry Island. Something about a multiple-use development-homes as well as a hotel and a conference center. You know the sort of thing.”

“How was he going to do it?”

“I don’t know exactly, but he has built developments before.”

“That’s not what I mean. How was he going to put Perry Island Care Center out of business?”

“I have no idea. Maybe he was going to arrange for some mysterious deaths.” She stopped speaking as the waiter appeared with their wine.

Kathleen took a sip of the wine and smiled. “This is delicious. Thank you.” She nodded and he left them alone.

“You know, Blaine Baines Executive Homes and Estates is the same business entity as Donald Baines Executive Homes.” Susan took a sip from her flute.

“Really? Why would they have two different names if they are the same company?” Kathleen smiled over Susan’s shoulder. “Private time has come to an end. Guess whose husbands are standing in the doorway?”

“Ours, I hope. I’m starving!”

The women got up and joined their spouses.

The two couples were seated in a small bay window in the dining room. They chatted a bit then got down to the serious business of deciding what to order.

“I’ll have the New Zealand cockles as a starter. And the grilled swordfish with cucumber lime salsa,” Kathleen ordered.

The waiter looked over at Susan. “I’m not quite ready,” she said. “Let the men order first.”

Jed, who knew that his wife liked to hear what everyone else was having before she made up her mind, leapt into the breach. “I’ll have the scallop brochette with spinach for an appetizer and the prime rib.”

Jerry frowned at the menu. “Sounds good. I’ll have the same appetizer and the duck.”

“And madam?”

Susan looked up. “The New Zealand cockles and the roasted salmon filet. And can we get a bottle of the Prosecco, too?”

“Good idea,” Jed agreed.

Now that their selections were made, Susan could return to a problem she had been grappling with all afternoon. She turned to her husband. “Jed, can you run a business and use different names for the same business?”

Jed looked at his wife and smiled. “You’re going to have to explain your question a bit before I can answer.”

Kathleen knew exactly what Susan was trying to say. “Susan and I were wondering about the Baineses and their real estate companies. They have a few offices that we know about. One is called Blaine Baines Executive Homes and Estates. Blaine Baines runs… ran… that one. And the office that Donald set up in town is called Donald Baines Executive Homes.”

“And you’re wondering if they are the same company,” Jerry said.

“Actually, we know they are, but why would they use different names?” Susan said.

“There’s an excellent reason for a company like that to use different names at different outlets,” Jed said.

“Why?”

“Shelf space. Think about the soda beverage aisle in the grocery store,” Jed continued when he saw the mystified expression on his wife’s face. “There’s a huge selection. Some shoppers buy Coke. Some buy bottled spring water. Some are looking for diet drinks. Most of those choices are created, bottled, marketed, and put on the shelves by a few big conglomerates. But they don’t brag about the common ownership. Because the common ownership blurs each individual brand’s image. That a drink made from sugar and chemicals with artificial colors added might come from the same purveyor as the water from the pristine stream in Montana doesn’t help either product sell.”

“You’re saying that they might just be two different faces of the same company,” Kathleen said as their appetizers arrived.

Susan stared down into her bowl of shellfish and wondered if she was imagining that this might be an important concept.

TWENTY-FOUR

SUSAN OPENED THE FRONT DOOR TO TAKE CLUE FOR HER morning walk and found Brett Fortesque standing on the porch.

“We need to talk.”

“I-”

“We need to talk right now.”

“If we could do it while I walk Clue…”

“Fine.”

“… then you could walk Rock and Roll at the same time.”

“I could, but I’m not going to. Susan, this isn’t a social call.”

“Then we’d better go before Clue has a nervous breakdown. Golden retrievers are not known for their patience.”

“Neither are police officers,” Brett said, starting down the walk.

Susan hurried to catch up. “You know about Perry Island.” The words were out of her mouth before she could think about whether or not they were wise. Damn! She shouldn’t even think of leaving the house until she’d taken the time to drink at least one cup of coffee.

Brett looked down at her. “I know about Perry Island and I know the woman who is taking care of your grandchildren right now was employed there when the murders happened.”

Susan waited for more.

“And I know about Mike Armstrong and that he’s her cousin.”

“Oh.” Susan stopped to allow Clue to sniff the corner of a neighbor’s stone wall. “So why do you want to talk to me if you know everything.”

“Susan…”

“Brett, you’re not going to arrest Shannon!” Susan cried.

“I’m not going to arrest anyone. Now. But I may suggest that she come down to the station house so I can ask her some questions.” He stopped, turned around, and faced Susan. “Two dead women have been found in the house next door to you, Susan. I have no reason to suspect anyone in your home is involved, but you know perfectly well that I can’t ignore the connection.”

“I know, Brett. But I’m sure Shannon didn’t kill anyone. She was with Chrissy when Nadine was killed. Besides, she’s a wonderful person and a sensational nurse.” She wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard him snort at this statement. “It’s true, Brett. The police on Perry Island didn’t arrest her, did they?”

“The police on Perry Island didn’t arrest anyone. It’s an ongoing investigation.”

“And what reason would she have to kill Nadine-if she had the opportunity-or Blaine? She didn’t even know them.”

“Really? Donald recognized her.”

Susan thought for a minute. “Yes, but the fact that Donald knew Shannon doesn’t mean she would kill his wife. Think about it, Brett. What reason would she have to kill Nadine? If she was trying to hide her connection to Perry Island Care Center, she would have needed to kill both Nadine and Donald.”

“And Blaine Baines, too,” he said.

“So have you ordered extra protection for Donald?” Susan asked. She realized she sounded sarcastic, but she had been caught unprepared. She had hoped she and Brett wouldn’t have this talk until she had figured out who killed Nadine and Blaine and all those poor old people. Clue stopped and she was glad of the break. She couldn’t do it. Too many murders over too long a time. She was never going to figure this one out. She looked up at Brett who was standing quietly by her side.

“I don’t think she killed anyone, Brett,” she said quietly. “And she is a wonderful nurse and I don’t know what Chrissy and Stephen would do without her. But I can’t figure out anything about all this. I’ve talked to so many people, but nothing I’ve learned leads in any particular direction. And, of course, now Blaine ’s dead.”

Clue looked up impatiently and pulled on her leash. “We’d better walk. This poor dog’s main exercise for the past week has been trying to keep Rock and Roll from stealing her dinner and barking at all the confusion next door.”