Death Rides the Surf (A Kate Kennedy Mystery Book 5) (17 page)

Epilogue

Saturday morning, November 4

“Kate,
did you know the police checked out one hotel, two restaurants, and three motels in Broward and Dade Counties, all called Casablanca?” Marlene held up her mimosa. “A toast to classic movies and their great dialogue.”

“Yes, Nick told me.” Kate smiled at the detective who sat to her right. “And I’d thought there was only one
Casablanca
.”

Kevin and Jennifer had insisted on hosting a brunch at the Boca Raton Hotel to celebrate Kate and Katharine’s safe return.

Katharine had told Kate, “Mom wants to make nice with Detective Carbone.”

They were sitting on the hotel’s elegant terrace, being served delicious food on beautiful china, sipping drinks from crystal glasses, and watching a surfer trying to catch a wave in the aquamarine water of the Atlantic Ocean.

“And I understand the police arrested Amanda in the SunTrust parking lot,” Kate said.

“That was such fun,” Marlene said. “I handed her an empty envelope and they carted her off: Her white wig fell off.”

Katharine laughed. “Even with red hair, Amanda wouldn’t look anything like me, ID or not.”

“Roberto would have killed you and Katharine, Nana,” Lauren said. “He’s a sociopath.” There were a few of them running around Palmetto Beach, Kate thought. “He killed Grace because that private detective she’d hired had found out about Roberto’s smuggling operation, and he slit his rich mistress’s throat because she’d served her purpose.”

“I think Grace may have been murdered because she’d discovered her daughter wasn’t dead,” Kate said. “She probably saw through Amanda’s Diamond Lil disguise, recognized her daughter’s eyes. They were so like Grace’s.”

“Detective Carbone, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you I’d gone to Grace Rowling’s room on Monday night,” Jennifer said. “I thought Jon Michael might harm Katharine and that Grace knew more than she’d told me. I made a bad judgment call, the deal in Bangkok was coming to a head, and I didn’t want to be stuck in Palmetto Beach as a prime suspect.”

Kevin, who was sitting between his wife and his younger daughter, put an arm around each of them.

Katharine reached over and patted her mother’s hand. Nick just grunted.

“Talking about sociopaths,” Marlene said, changing the subject, “Amanda aided and abetted her own mother’s murder.”

“But Jon Michael was murdered because Roberto had overheard me talking about my inheritance.” Katharine sounded ashamed.

“Well, that was one reason. It’s complicated,” Nick said.

“Jon Michael believed Amanda had been murdered and he was the prime suspect. He also believed Roberto was his friend who’d protected him and given him an alibi. He felt he owed Roberto big-time. Then he found out Amanda was alive and Roberto had been using him. Jon Michael became a threat, and Roberto wasn’t about to divide the money three ways. Hell, Roberto had Claude begging to become a smuggler. Roberto rigged the wire cage’s opening so the pig’s blood would seep out of the plastic bag and into the ocean.”

“Now it’s over,” Jennifer said, and turned to her daughter. “Are you coming home?”

Kate heard the nervousness in her daughter-in-law’s voice.

“Yes,” Katharine said. “I’m going back to NYU. Nana, I’m going to write a screenplay about all this. Want to hear the title?”

“Yes, darling.” Kate laughed. It felt good.

“
Death Rides the Surf.
And I’ll get Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper to play you and Marlene.” Katharine looked at Nick. “And Paul Sorvino can play you.”

“As long as I get the girl,” Nick said.

Decades ago, Marlene had accepted her guilt over the one-night stand with Charlie. She’d even written Kate a letter confessing the adultery to be opened after Marlene’s death.

Now that they were so much older, Marlene felt she should suffer the guilt alone. Why should she hurt her best friend?

She mixed a martini, opened a pack of Virginia Slims, lit a match and burned the letter.

About the Author

Noreen Wald lives in downtown Sarasota, Florida with her husband, Steve. Their sons visit often. Hey, surf and sun are great lures. She has served terms as a local chapter president for Mystery Writers of America, as well as Executive VP and Secretary for their National Board of Directors. A winning contestant on seven television game shows—including Jeopardy!—Noreen later worked for Goodson-Todman and Merv Griffin Productions. She’s lectured at the Smithsonian, the CIA , the National Press Club and aboard the QE II. Her Ghostwriter Series was a Mystery Guild selection and praised in
The New York Daily News, The Sun-Sentinel
, and hit #1 on
The Dallas Morning News
bestseller list.

The Kate Kennedy Mystery Series

By Noreen Wald

DEATH WITH AN OCEAN VIEW (#1)

DEATH OF THE SWAMI SCHWARTZ (#2)

DEATH IS A BARGAIN (#3)

DEATH STORMS THE SHORE (#4)

DEATH RIDES THE SURF (#5)

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