Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set (56 page)

The Masque of Innocence

By Jennifer L. Jennings

Copyright © 2013

Query Publishing LLC

This is a work of fiction. All names, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

Prologue

My name is Sarah Woods. I’m forty-three, divorced, and until a year ago, I’d been running a successful massage therapy business in the small, seacoast town of Bridgeport, New Hampshire. That is until the unthinkable happened.

 
After the brutal murder of my receptionist Beth Stevens, I wanted to help find her killer because I felt partly responsible. If she hadn’t been working late that night, maybe her life wouldn’t have ended so abruptly. Determined to seek justice, I assisted the police with their investigation. And once the case was solved, it set the wheels in motion for a major career change for me.

 
Carter was the first private detective I’d ever met. An ex-cop from Boston, he left the force to strike out on his own. As a private detective for over ten years, the unconventional methods he used to solve cases often worked to his benefit, including the time he hired me to go undercover and lure a cheating husband.

That defining moment changed everything. I decided to take classes in criminology with the goal of obtaining a private detective’s license while working in the field to gain experience under Carter’s tutelage.

But in the school of life, things don’t always go as planned. There is a thin line between guilty and innocent. And following your instincts can prove to be a deadly game.

Chapter 1

It was October, the New England sky almost dark at five-thirty when Carter and I pulled into the circular driveway and parked. We exited my Toyota and looked around.

Alice Rossini lived in a brick, two-story Georgian Colonial with flattened columns on each side of the front door. The façade was impressive with decorative moldings over the entry and multi-paned windows, symmetrically spaced. Prescott Heights was known for its historic homes dating back to the early 1700’s. This one was a gem.

“
Does Alice live here all by herself?” I asked Carter. “Must be at least ten bedrooms in this place.”

“
I have no idea,” he said. “We didn’t talk very long on the phone. She preferred to discuss the potential job in person.”

“
She must be loaded,” I said.

Carter shrugged. “She sounded elderly. If I had to guess, somewhere in her eighties.”

“
So why would an old woman need to hire a private investigator?”

“
She’s worried about a friend who suddenly left town. It’s probably nothing. Hey…why don’t you take the lead on this one? You’re ready.”

I paused. “Are you sure? What if she asks to see my license?”

“
Then you tell her the truth,” he said. “You’re working as my apprentice until you finish your classes. You’ll have your license in less than six months.”

“
That’s if I pass all the tests.”

A gust of wind kicked up a few dried leaves as Carter ran a hand through his thick, grey hair. “How many times do I have to tell you that you’re good at this detective work? Everyone needs to start somewhere. Give yourself a little credit, would ya? No more hand-holding, okay?”

I blew out a breath and tried to smile. “Fine,” I said, looking toward the front door. “I guess we shouldn’t keep the client waiting.”

We knocked. A few moments later, a young woman appeared behind the outer glass door. She looked about twenty-five, her brown hair swept up into a ponytail. A pink apron was tied around her thin waist. “Yes? May I help you?” she asked.

“
I’m Sarah Woods. This is Carter. We’re here to see Alice Rossini. She’s expecting us.”

“
Yes. Please come in.” I noticed a hint of a southern accent in the young woman’s voice. “Mrs. Rossini is waiting for you in the parlor.”

She gestured to the right and we entered the arched opening that led to a high ceilinged room with a massive stone fireplace as the focal point. I admired the craftsmanship of the stonework before my attention was drawn elsewhere. Several bizarre statues dominated most of the room: a hairy ape type of creature, a mannequin that looked like a zombie, and several other smaller figures that looked like aliens with bulbous green heads. Was Alice a connoisseur of Avante-guard sculpture?

Alice occupied a plush couch upholstered with floral designs. Her long white hair looked like strands of silk tied up into a loose bun. A few ringlets fell down around her face—the face of a woman at least eighty-five or ninety years old. She didn’t stand up when we entered the room, but her smile, friendly eyes, and warm demeanor greeted us.

“
Please come in,” she said, her voice shaky yet robust. “So nice to meet you. Please, make yourselves comfortable. Can I have Lucy bring you some coffee or tea?”

We kindly declined, but I noticed the young woman, Lucy, standing just outside the arched doorway. Perhaps she wanted to stay within earshot in case Alice needed her.

Carter and I sat on one of the couches. “What a beautiful house you have,” I said. “It’s so well preserved.”

“
Don’t be fooled,” she said, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “The place is crumbling around me, but don’t tell anyone. If the historical society ever knew, they’d come to hound me.”

 
“
I won’t tell a soul. But, I have to ask; what’s with all the unusual life-sized artifacts?”

“
Oh dear, I hope you’re not offended.”

“
Not at all, just curious.”

Alice smiled. “My husband Henry used to be a horror film producer. That’s how we met back in the fifties. I was a costume designer. He hired me to work on one of his first productions. These peculiar figures were movie props. After Henry died, I couldn’t bare to sell them off. They’re scattered about the entire house.”

“
Horror films? Must have been an exciting career,” Carter added.

“
My husband was a highly respected producer and director back in those days.”

“
If you don’t mind me asking, when did your husband pass away?” Carter asked.

Alice looked up at the mantle. A framed photograph of a young couple seemed to capture her attention. “Ten years ago yesterday. He was tinkering in the basement with some of the larger movie props he kept stored down there. Henry would while away the hours in his dungeon, as he liked to call it. The basement is filled with all kinds of medieval torture devices. Friends have tried to convince me to sell them on EBay. I could probably make a small fortune, though I don’t really need the money. Truth be told, I couldn’t stand to part with any of Henry’s prized possessions. Anyway, he was down there one day and … had a heart attack. Dropped dead. The doctor couldn’t understand why. He always had a strong ticker.”

“
I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.

“
He left this world doing what he loved most.” Alice’s expression changed. “But let’s get to the real reason I invited you here to begin with. Not that I don’t like talking about my dear Henry. I could go on for hours. However, I want to tell you more about my friend, Mariposa Parker. Everyone calls her Mari, for short.”

“
Mariposa? That’s an interesting name,” I said, while digging into my purse for a notebook and pen. “She doesn’t sound like she’s from New Hampshire.”

“
Her name means butterfly in Spanish. She’s from Portugal. Used to be a famous model there, but moved here about five years ago when she married Kenneth. They live right across the street in the renovated blue house with all those skylights. He owns an investment company in Boston, but spends most of his time playing golf while she does her charity work. I donate a lot of money to Mari’s causes.”

I made a few notes and looked up. “Is that how you and Mari became friends?”

“
Yes. I’ll never forget the day they moved in across the street. They’d hired a crew to install those hideous skylights. Everyone on the block thought it was an abomination to change the appearance of an historic home like that. Anyway, Kenneth doesn’t care. He does what he pleases.”

“
Do they have children?” I asked.

“
Not together. Kenneth has a teenage son named Ethan from a previous marriage. He goes to Boston University and lives in one of the dorms.” Alice raised her hand to her chin as if she’d just forgotten something important. “Oh dear, how rude of me. Can I offer either one of you something to drink?”

Both Carter and I exchanged a knowing glance. “Thank you, we’re fine,” I said, not bringing to her attention the fact that she had already asked.

Alice’s shoulders relaxed. “The night before last, the Parker’s held a masquerade ball for Halloween. Like most of their fundraising events, it was quite elaborate.”

“
So this would have been on Friday night, correct?”

“
Yes. I only stayed for an hour. These eighty-eight year old bones harbor a lot of aches and pains. I’m usually in bed by nine.”

I made a few notes and looked back at Alice. “Did something happen at the party?”

“
You see, that’s why I called you. I think something dreadful happened to Mari after I left the party that night.”

“
So you haven’t spoken to her since?”

“
No. As a matter of fact, she was supposed to come over yesterday morning, the anniversary of Henry’s death. She always makes it a point to spend the day with me. I called her around noon yesterday. She never answered and never called me back. I called the house. Around four. Kenneth told me that Mari had decided last- minute to go away for the weekend by herself. Some kind of spa resort. He didn’t know which one.”

“
You don’t believe him?” I asked.

“
I don’t know what to think. I explained to Kenneth that Mari would never miss Henry’s anniversary. He tried to convince me that she must have simply forgotten, and told me not to take it personally. I asked if he’d call the spa to make sure she’d arrived safely, but he just laughed at me like I was some crazy, paranoid old woman.”

“
Did he actually see her leave?” I asked.

“
No. He said she was already gone when he got up. That’s when he noticed the text message on his cell phone.”

I paused to consider what had been said. “She texted him? Why not leave a note on the table or refrigerator?”

Alice shrugged.

“
So, what makes you think she’s not at the spa?” I asked, trying to get to the core of the issue.

“
Like I said, she’d never miss Henry’s anniversary. I don’t believe she just forgot, especially when she confirmed at the party the night before that she would be coming over the next day. It doesn’t make any sense. ”

“
Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to know where she is.”

Alice looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. “I suppose it’s possible. But why?”

“
Did Mari take a car?” I asked.

Alice nodded. “Yes, Kenneth said she took her Mercedes.”

I thought about that. “Does her car have OnStar? Her husband could activate the GPS and find out where she is that way.”

Alice shook her head. “I don’t think so. Her car is an early model Mercedes. I don’t think it has all that fancy stuff.”

“
They could track her through her cell phone,” I added.

“
It must be turned off,” she said. “It goes straight to voicemail.”

I chewed on the end of my pen and glanced at Carter. He didn’t have anything to offer. This was clearly my decision.

 
I wanted to help Alice. Besides, this could be my chance to make up for my last job. Carter seemed to believe I could do this so after taking another minute to consider everything, I looked up at Alice. “Is Mari having an affair?”

She blinked, apparently surprised by the question. “What? No. I’m positive she isn’t.”

“
Is she unhappy in her marriage?”

“
I don’t think so. Kenneth is not my cup of tea, but she seems to be very much in love with him.”

“
Other than forgetting the anniversary of your husbands death, what else makes you think she’s in any kind of trouble?”

“
Well, Mari has admirers—beautiful women often do.”

“
Admirers? You mean stalkers?”

Alice nodded and looked away, as if embarrassed. “She had some kind of trouble with a fellow last week. He sent her letters and followed her all over the place.”

“
Did she tell you his name?”

“
If she did, I don’t remember it. You can ask Kenneth. He’d know.”

“
Maybe Mari and her husband had an argument and she just needed to get away for a few days,” I said.

“
It’s possible, but I’m telling you … Mari would return my calls.”

“
What else can you tell me about Kenneth?”

“
He’s a sports fanatic. Very successful. He’s a bit of a show-off, but he fully supports Mari with all her charity efforts.”

“
Has she ever mentioned domestic abuse? Anything that might give her reason to leave him?”

“
No. She would have told me.”

I offered Alice a tentative smile. “I’ll go over and talk to Kenneth. We might be able to use her credit cards to track her down if he’s willing.”

A sincere look of gratitude appeared on her face. “Thank you.”

“
By the way,” I said, “did you mention to Kenneth that you were thinking of hiring us?”

“
No, but I’m sure he won’t be surprised when you show up at his house. He’ll probably tell you I’m a pain in his butt.”

I returned my notebook to my purse and turned to Carter. “Do you have anything to add?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I think you’ve got this covered.”

“
Good.” I turned back to Alice. “I’ll contact you as soon as we have any information.”

She leaned over and grabbed an envelope from the coffee table, then handed it to me. “Here is an advance for today. Is five hundred enough for your time and expenses?”

I hesitated. “It may only take a few phone calls to find out where Mari is. I won’t need that much.”