No Accounting for Murder

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Carly decided to start her investigation by talking with the mayor, then move on to other major sources of information in Bear Cove. The real power behind the power was Miss Cook, the mayor's assistant. And there was Mrs. Bailes the librarian. If she didn't have the answers she needed after talking to these two, there was always Susan, a not-so-close friend and the town's only real estate agent. If anyone knew about properties in the county, it would be Susan.

Bear Cove was no different from most small towns, except it wanted to stay small. Residents worked very hard to keep their town small, private, and personal. The town didn't advertise much beyond its borders, building codes were strict, and outsiders often complained about the town's lack of welcome. Carly should know. She'd lived here ten years and people still referred to her as an up-a-longer, their term for people not born in Bear Cove.

Which was exactly what made this whole development idea so hard for her to understand. What nincompoop thought Bear Cove needed some sort of 'adult entertainment'? Generations of the same families lived here. She wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Mike. His great-grandfather was one of the original founders of the town. The people who lived here also worked here, and few tourists came through. If Bear Cove had its way, there would be a large sign on the turnpike reading: "If you weren't born here, don't stop here".

Carly made her first call to the mayor, where she met the stone wall named Miss Cook.

"The mayor isn't in this morning. And even if he was, I doubt he would be able to fit you in. He's a very busy man, you know."

"Miss Cook." Carly's voice dripped with honey, and she nearly gagged on the words. "Everyone knows you hold tremendous sway on the town council. Surely there's some way you could help me get in touch with a man as busy as the mayor?" Busy indeed. How busy could he be in a town of less than three hundred people?

"Well, let me see. Maybe I would be able to squeeze you in later this afternoon. He will be leaving the office around five. If you came by a few minutes before then, I might be able to convince him to see you."

Carly envisioned Miss Cook smirking at the sway she held over the mayor. Squeeze her in indeed. She bit back her words. "That would work fine, Miss Cook. By the way, I don't expect you'd know anything about this fast-tracked permit and the development going on. If the mayor didn't confide in the police chief, he probably didn't tell you anything, either?"

Miss Cook inhaled sharply. Then dead silence hung on the other end of the phone.

"Miss Cook? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. And for your information, I do know what's going on. I'm not at liberty to release information indiscriminately. I do hold a privileged position, you know, one of trust."

As Miss Cook's office chair squeaked loudly into the phone, Carly yanked the receiver from her ear. "I know that, Miss Cook. I would never, ever ask you to betray a confidence. Somehow, though, I can't see how a parade permit, which is a public document, could be considered a confidence. I guess I could come down there and ask to see a copy of it myself."

Her ploy to bypass the indomitable assistant worked. "Well, if it's about the parade permit, why didn't you ask? There's no need to bother the mayor with these petty questions. What do you want to know?"

"Who asked for it, and why did the mayor do it himself?"

"A private company from out of state asked for the permit. A verbal request referred through a member of the town council, so the mayor handled it himself." Miss Cook sniffed. "All done according to procedure, you know."