Page 68 of Echoes at Driftwood Cottage

Phoebe smiled. “It’s a deal. I can’t wait to go through those binders. It’s been years since I’ve had any interest. But hearing that name again has lit a fire in me.”

“We have that in common,” Rowan said, getting to her feet.

“What will you do now?” Phoebe asked.

“Head back to Pelican Pointe and lay out everything we’ve learned to the police chief. Hopefully, it will help him solve a double homicide.”

Before Phoebe walked them to the front door, Daniel stopped. “This dustup after Tamsin died, what was it about?”

“According to witnesses, one of Dodge’s handlers suggested they call someone who could remove the body before anyone found out and take care of it as they had done in the past. Whatever that means. I’ll leave it to you to form your own judgment about what they meant by that statement.”

“Why didn’t Nichols do that before anyone called the police?” Daniel pressed.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes. “Because one of the guests was the chief of police. Rumor has it that he was there in the company of a woman who wasn’t his wife. It seems Dodge wasn’t just a drug dealer extraordinaire. He apparently could use extortion with the best of them.”

Chapter Eighteen

Rowan and Daniel wasted no time getting back to town. They went straight to Brent with what they had discovered about the Celestial Moon and its leader, Dodge Nichol.

Sitting at the conference table inside the police station, Rowan looked around at the faces. Eastlyn was there because she was involved in the case. But she couldn’t figure out why Brent had included Colt Del Rio and Theo Woodsong. She wanted to ask but decided to stick to the reason they were there. “Look, Jim, Lynette, and Gwynn all had ties to this guy. We found a witness who said so. Gwynn would argue with her parents and storm out of the house. She’d end up at the Celestial Moon compound with Nichols. Jim and Lynette would go out there and drag her home. This went on for years. The same person who told us about Gwynn told us that Dodge Nichols owned the boat, Celestial Moon, and used it for running drugs in and out of San Francisco.”

“You have been busy today amateur sleuthing,” Brent uttered. “And when I specifically told you to leave the investigation to us.”

“We had a hunch and followed it,” Daniel contributed, his voice edgy with frustration. “After Rowan remembered Gwynn talking about the Celestial Moon Commune, we made the connection to the boat. You can’t sit there and deny we had a productive day while we were there. We’re convinced the commune is the key to this whole thing. Dodge Nichols was a drug runner. Ask the DEA. That’s who raided the farm in 2004 and found he’d left the country. But not before he sold all of his properties. Before heading back, we made a stop at the tax office in San Mateo.” Daniel shoved a list toward Brent. “That’s right. He owned several other houses in addition to the farm. Plus, the huge house with a view of the lagoon.”

“You’re the one who mentioned that Jim and Lynette knew people,” Rowan brought up. “I think you’re right. They did. They had connections to this cult leader Nichols. It’s up to you to find out how deep the link goes. If you suspect that Jim killed the couple out at Eternal Gardens, then who’s to say they weren’t also involved in other criminal things as well? Why else would they need a phony death certificate for a fake child? And why did they need a fake birth certificate for me? Ask yourself, who did they go to and who provided the documents? Somebody in Nichols’ orbit must’ve known how to make that stuff look real. Then ask yourself why? Why go to that kind of trouble? And why did they need to kill that couple they hid away under a wooden coffin? Daniel and I discovered seven people went missing from that commune under Nichols’ leadership over a two-year period. It can’t be a coincidence that you have a double murder practically in Jim and Lynette’s backyard.”

Theo Woodsong tapped his pen against the table. “Ties to a drug-laden commune give this case an added layer. Any time drugs are involved, they’re likely to take extreme measures to cover up something more sinister, like murder. Back in Seattle we once had a commune that swore up and down their money came from growing fruits and vegetables and organic honey. Turns out, their revered leader owned ten houses in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in town, and they were selling more than apple juice.”

Knowing Brent wasn’t happy with the turn of events, Colt took a different approach. “We often ask for the public’s help in solving cold cases.”

Rowan traded disbelieving looks with Daniel before confronting Brent. “Are you telling me you’re upset because we’ve provided critical information relevant to your investigation? Why does it matter where the information comes from as long as it leads us closer to the truth? Those people tossed into that grave deserve better. They deserve justice. If you don’t believe us, then talk to Phoebe Jamieson. Call her. She’s a wealth of information about this guy. And she knew about Tamsin Southwick dying at his house. Yeah. You heard right. Tamsin Southwick drowned at a party given by Dodge Nichols at the lagoon house with an indoor pool. Not only that, one of his handlers suggested they remove the body before anyone else found out. But it seems they couldn’t because the chief of police was just down the hallway at the same party with someone who wasn’t his wife.”

“Are you saying this Dodge Nichols made up the drowning story to cover up the drug use?” Eastlyn asked.

“I don’t know,” Rowan seethed, getting to her feet. “Did Tamsin die of a drug overdose, or did she drown? That’s what you should find out. Was she there alone or was she a member of the commune? Was she there with Gwynn Dewhurst? Or maybe Jim and Lynette stopped by to pick up their drug-addicted daughter and pay homage to the drug lord of the manor. Whatever happened that weekend is the catalyst for killing our mystery couple.”

Brent huffed out a breath. “Okay, that’s enough. You’ve made your point. Between the four of us, we’ll tackle these ties to the drug dealer and this commune. I appreciate the information. I just don’t like regular citizens going off on their own, asking questions that might draw attention from the wrong people. If this Nichols guy is behind a string of criminal activity that goes back decades, just because he’s out of the country doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of striking back. You’ve already had two break-ins where you live. It indicates there’s at least one individual out there who finds this all very interesting.”

“So stay on alert,” Colt cautioned. “Call us if you have the slightest hint someone’s keeping tabs on your movements.”

They left the conference room in a baffled state and walked out into the crisp June air. The smell of Italian spices and New York pizza from down the street wafted on the night breeze.

Rowan watched a few people coming out of the movie theater next door and longed to do that again without the past dragging her back to when she was a kid. “I thought Brent would be pleased. I had no idea he’d react like that.”

“Cops are funny creatures. They’re very territorial. They don’t like people sticking their noses into their cases.”

“Even a double murder?” Rowan said as she pulled her seatbelt across and snapped it closed. “So, I shouldn’t go looking into my own past? How else am I going to get answers about where I came from if I don’t make inquiries outside Pelican Pointe? I didn’t just drop out of the sky and land here. The Dewhursts brought me here. The question is which one? And why? I’m not convinced it was Gwynn who wanted a child. Knowing her as I do, that part doesn’t make sense to me. So where did I come from? Who were my real parents? I have a right to know.”

Daniel’s hands went up in a defensive posture. “I’m all for finding out. No need to take it out on me.”

“Sorry. I just thought Brent would be more accepting of the information.”

“He promised to look into it. I’m sure he’ll keep his word.”

Rowan’s cell phone rang. When she dug it out of her bag and looked at the screen, she frowned. “It’s the nursing home. Hello? Oh. Okay. I see. When? Oh. Is there anything I need to do? I see. What are the next steps after that?”

Daniel listened to the one-sided conversation but recognized the signs of stress moving across Rowan’s face.

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