Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso (A Danger Cove Hair Salon Mystery)
Page 20
Toss with cooked, drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano.
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DANGER COVE BOOKS
Secret of the Painted Lady
Murder and Mai Tais
Death by Scones
Four-Patch of Trouble
Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai
Killer Closet Case
Tree of Life and Death
A Killing in the Market (short story in the Killer Beach Reads collection)
Killer Colada
Passion, Poison, & Puppy Dogs
A Novel Death
Robbing Peter to Kill Paul
Sinister Snickerdoodles
Heroes and Hurricanes
A Death in the Flower Garden
Divas, Diamonds & Death
A Slaying in the Orchard
A Secret in the Pumpkin Patch
Deadly Dirty Martinis
A Poison Manicure & Peach Liqueur
Not-So-Bright Hopes (short story in the Pushing Up Daisies collection)
Tequila Trouble
Deadly Thanksgiving Sampler
Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Grazie for reading Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso!
Dear Reader,
It was a blast being back in Danger Cove, but I'll bet Cassidi, Gia, Amy, and Zac think otherwise. I mean, I haven't exactly been nice to them over the years, have I?
Speaking of torturing my characters, I had so much fun solving the series-long mystery of who killed Cassidi's Uncle Vinnie in Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso. It was especially entertaining for me to bring his sister and Cassidi's aunt, Carla Di Mitri, to Danger Cove. I mentioned her in the first two books, so her trip was long overdue.
While I was cracking Vinnie's cold case, I decided to investigate some unsolved mysteries from Secret of the Painted Lady. I've always wanted to know why George Fontaine moved to Danger Cove and bought a flower shop when he clearly wasn't a florist, and what his parents did in London that had him on the run. I don't know about you, but I like to think that Christina, the author of Secret of the Painted Lady, would be pleased with my sleuthing.
If you have any comments about the Danger Cove Hair Salon mysteries, please email me at traci@traciandrighetti.com. Your emails not only help me to improve my plots, they're fun to read, and they motivate me to keep going.
Last but not least, if you enjoyed Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso, please write a review. We authors are dependent on readers like you to stay in business, so thank you in advance for your support.
Buona lettura (Happy reading)!
Traci Andrighetti
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Book Club Questions
Who is your favorite character in Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso? Explain. (Mine is Aunt Carla because of the color she brings to the book—I'm so glad she came to visit.)
Speaking of Aunt Carla, she operates within an extended network of relatives, friends, and neighborhood contacts, which provides her with good information. Does your family or community operate like this?
Vincent Conti is a controversial character, given his side hustles—i.e., selling illegal Viagra and working as a gigolo. What do you think of old Uncle Vinnie?
Everyone agrees that George Fontaine doesn't seem suited to be a florist. If you could have a career do-over, what would you choose?
Cassidi has mixed feelings about the brothel background of her painted lady and the remaining racy relics. If you had inherited the Victorian mansion, what changes would you have made, if any?
Alex Jordan finds a cameo brooch in the tower room. (I picked a cameo because I often see them for sale in Italy, and because they remind me of a forgotten era.) Do you wear vintage jewelry? Or do you collect a certain type?
Eyeshadow—Gia's all about it. Do you wear makeup? If so, what's your can't-live-without product? (I don't wear foundation or powder, but I would be hard-pressed to decide between lip liner and dark-circle concealer. My eyes and lips need the help!)
Thanks to Harriet McCudgeon's Gold Rush History Tours, Cassidi and Gia finally find Uncle Vinnie's hidden stash of cash. If you found eight hundred thousand dollars in your living room, what would you do with it (besides pay bills, of course)?
Cassidi and Zac seem destined for their happily ever after. What do you think happens to Gia and Donatello? And Amy Spannagel?
Aunt Carla's ragù seems to have a special effect on men. Do you have a secret-weapon recipe? If so, can you send it to me? ;)
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
In her previous life, Traci Andrighetti was a lecturer of Italian at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a PhD in applied linguistics. But then she got wise and ditched that academic stuff for a life of crime—writing, that is. These days Traci is the USA Today bestselling author of the Danger Cove Hair Salon mysteries and other works.
To learn more about Traci, visit her online at www.traciandrighetti.com.
USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Ashby was born and raised in Danger Cove and now uses her literary talent to tell stories about the town she knows and loves. Ms. Ashby has penned several Danger Cove Mysteries, which are published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. While she does admit to taking some poetic license in her storytelling, she loves to incorporate the real people and places of her hometown into her stories. She says anyone who visits Danger Cove is fair game for her poisoned pen, so tourists beware! When she's not writing, Ms. Ashby enjoys gardening, taking long walks along the Pacific coastline, and curling up with a hot cup of tea, her cat, Sherlock, and a thrilling novel.
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BOOKS BY TRACI ANDRIGHETTI
Danger Cove Hair Salon Mysteries:
Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai
A Poison Manicure & Peach Liqueur
Killer Eyeshadow and a Cold Espresso
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SNEAK PEEK
of the another Danger Cove Mystery
HEROES AND HURRICANES
A DANGER COVE
COCKTAIL MYSTERY
by
NICOLE LEIREN
&
ELIZABETH ASHBY
CHAPTER ONE
If anyone had ever told me a tavern would represent my last hope, I would've laughed. Seriously. Out loud with tears in my eyes. That kind of laughter. But here I stood in front of the Smugglers' Tavern in the quiet little town of Danger Cove, Washington. Looking for a little—
The front door of the building opened, and a woman stepped outside. "Hi, I'm Hope. Owner of the Smugglers' Tavern. Can I help you?"
Really? Her name was Hope. The universe must be having a good laugh about now. I knew my smile reached my eyes despite the desperate nature of my situation. This was too good to be true. I extended my hand. "Hi, I'm Lilly Waters. Charlie sent me over to see if you might have an opening. He said he used to work for you before he opened his own restaurant. He also suggested you were a good boss and a really decent person." I left out that Charlie's ex-wife wasn't such a good and decent person. She'd basically blackmailed him into hiring her niece, which had eliminated a need for my services. In all fairness, by giving in to her demands, the ex promised him more time with the kids. I didn't blame him. Kids needed a father. At least that's what I'd heard—not that I'd ever had a father in my life. But I'd had Gram, and she'd been all I needed.
Hope smiled and gestured for me to follow her inside. I took in my surroundings while she turned on lights and brought the tavern to life for the start of its day.
"Come on in. We're not officially open yet, but I'll be happy to get you a cup of coffee while we talk."
"Any chance I could have some tea?" Did I really say that out lou
d? What was wrong with me? I smoothed my hand through my long hair. The blonde highlights were fading, and the brown was becoming the dominant color again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
Hope smiled. "Actually, I prefer tea myself. My friend, Ruby, and I are about the only ones who prefer tea to coffee around here it seems. I'll heat the water. Any particular kind?"
"Whatever you have will be fine. Thank you." There. I'd found my edit function again. Keep it together, Lilly. You've got this.
While Hope fixed our tea, two women who looked to be about the same age as each other walked in the door. "Hi, Hope. We're here. I've got some great ideas for today's specials." The one talking noticed me about then. "Oh, sorry. Didn't know you had company."
"Lilly, this is Tara, my chef, and her twin sister and right hand, Clara."
"Nice to—" Tara started.
"Meet you," Clara finished.
A small chuckle escaped. I couldn't help it.
Hope saved me from too much embarrassment. "They do that all the time. You get used to it."
"Nice to meet both of you."
"Would anyone like a BLT or sandwich before—" Tara began.
"We get started on prep work?"
Oh, I liked these two. Made me wish I had a sister…or a brother…or a close family. Enough of those thoughts. I needed to present a well put-together candidate for my perspective employer.
"Would you like a sandwich?" Hope asked.
I shook my head no, but my stomach betrayed me at that precise moment. Darn stomach. No job meant stretching the few groceries I had as far as I could. I was little, only five feet and barely five inches. Shouldn't require much food to sustain me, right?
Hope ignored my shaking head. "Two BLTs please. You know how I like mine."
They nodded and headed off to the kitchen. Hope turned and set the steaming tea down on the table. "So, Lilly Waters, tell me about yourself."
The full story would've taken longer than this nice lady had, so I gave her the abridged version. "I left home just shy of my twenty-first birthday. My grandmother, Rebecca Waters, who raised me, passed away."
Her expression softened. "I'm sorry."
I shrugged. No tears in an interview. That had to be a rule somewhere. "Thank you. I decided to see the world. Well, the great old United States anyway. I took the money Gram left me, headed out of New York, and ventured from city to city. I trained to be a bartender shortly after I turned twenty-one. I happened to be in New Orleans at the time."
"Oh wow!" Hope's eyes widened, and I could almost see a sense of adventure and excitement in her expression. Maybe she'd been a traveler as well.
"Yeah, it was a pretty intense couple of years. I worked at Pat O'Brien's…"
"They're famous for their hurricanes, aren't they?"
I laughed. Many people had fallen, literally and figuratively, from drinking a few of our secret-recipe hurricanes. "That they are. It was a lot of fun. After a while, though, I needed a break from the partying and started the move west."
"What brought you to Danger Cove?"
I blinked a few times to regain control. Relax. It's a normal question, not an interrogation. "My great-grandmother Mary Beth was originally from here. Most of my family has lived here at one time or another. Thought it would be a good place for a homecoming."
About that time an older couple came in the door arguing with every breath. Hope leaned in and whispered, "They're like that. It's how they communicate and show they care about each other."
I smiled, unsure of how to respond.
"Ruby! Vernon! Come here and say hello to Lilly." Hope's face lit up as she called them over.
"Hi, Lilly," they offered in unison. Apparently they were capable of doing some things together.
Ruby shooed Vernon off to the kitchen. "Don't eat anything that isn't good for you!"
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled and waved off her warning with his hand.
"Another tea drinker. I say we hire her." Ruby smiled and nodded in my direction. "Besides, I like her eyes. They've seen a lot of hurt and pain, but she still has a sense of compassion and humor."
I broke away from Ruby's intense gaze and refocused on Hope. "Is she a psychic or something? She could see all of that from looking into my eyes?"
"Soulful brown eyes with gold flecks," Ruby corrected.
Hope grinned at the other woman. "She's highly perceptive. We've both seen a lot in our travels as well. Ruby is very in tune with the universe. She's pretty spot-on with these things."
"Spot-on?" Ruby started laughing. "You're sounding more and more like Harvey every day."
At the mention of Harvey's name, Hope's eyes glazed over, and a goofy smile spread across her face. Ruby leaned over and whispered into my ear. "That is the look of a woman in love. Don't need to be in tune with the universe to figure that one out."
"Okay, enough about me," Hope interrupted. "What do you think about some extra help, Ruby?"
"Extra help? I can't argue with that. We're going to need someone, especially while you and Harvey are gallivanting all over the mother country having high tea with the queen and all."
They both laughed again. This was apparently an inside joke or information that was on a need-to-know basis. I was pretty sure I didn't need to know. Truthfully, I'd stopped listening at "going to need someone," hoping that translated into a job.
"Can you start training today?" Hope's dreamy expression faded, replaced by what I considered to be her conscientious-business-owner face.
"Yes, ma'am. I can start today. Right now if you need." Okay, that might have been a little eager…or desperate. Hey, if the situation fits…
"The tourist season is well underway, so we'll be pretty busy. I think after you finish your tea is a good time to start. Later, I'd love to see you whip up a special hurricane recipe to put on the menu."
Now she was talking my language. "You bet I can! One Smugglers' special hurricane coming right up." I slid my hand inside my purse. My secret ingredient rested comfortably at the bottom. There had been any number of extra ingredients added to hurricanes over the years, including some unscheduled alcohol from time to time. Mine created less mayhem when overconsumed, just added a nice extra touch. Since I had faith I'd secure a bartender position when I left this morning, or work my way up to one, I'd put it in my purse. Luck may never have been on my side, but faith still ran deep through my veins. Learned that lesson from a family who never gave up hope.
About that time the door swung open, and the finest male specimen I'd seen in a long time… Correction. Finest specimen I'd ever seen walked into the room. His tanned body proved a strong contrast to the white T-shirt straining to contain his well-defined muscles. The mellow lighting in the bar didn't dim his brilliant smile or his sandy blond hair. As my pulse raced, I couldn't help but think that he could be a hurricane blowing into my life any time he wanted.
HEROES AND HURRICANES
available now!