Eve Lloyd's A Deadline Cozy Mystery - Books 1 to 5

by Sonia Parin

  Jill gave her an encouraging poke in the back.

  “Yes… well. I… I have been negligent. I know I should have come over and introduced myself earlier, but I’ve been caught up with… things and I was never sure when you’d be home… since you’re not actually a permanent resident.” Jill gave her another poke in the back. Eve held the basket out.

  “I don’t eat sweets.”

  Perhaps she should. “You’ll find some savory ones too.”

  “And what do you expect me to do with the rest? Throw them out?”

  Eve fished around for a response but her mind had dried up. “This is a pretty house you have, Mrs. Harvey. Have you lived here long?”

  “Look, you didn’t come here to make small talk. Go ahead and apologize.”

  Apologize? For what exactly?

  And what would happen if she offered a blanket apology? Would it be used against her? Eve looked over her shoulder. “I hope the film crew are not being too noisy.”

  “Not now they’re not. But they’ve been making a racket at all hours of the night and that’s not all. I’ve seen people skulking around the place. This used to be a quiet and safe community. Now all hell’s broken loose and there’s a killer at large. What if it’s one of them or…” Mrs. Harvey narrowed her gaze at Eve.

  Eve took a deep swallow.

  “You’ve been caught up in several incidents since you arrived. Who’s to say you’re not somehow involved?”

  “The fact I’m free and the guilty parties have been caught and imprisoned?”

  “There’s always a first time.”

  A rumble swirled inside her.

  Mrs. Harvey shook her head. “How you ever expect people to stay at your inn, I’ll never know—”

  “I can assure you I have no intention of killing my guests.” Jill’s finger dug into her back.

  “I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” Mrs. Harvey stepped back and moved to close the door.

  “Wait.” To her surprise, Mrs. Harvey didn’t slam the door in her face. “What did you mean when you said you’d seen people skulking around?”

  Mrs. Harvey gave her an impatient shake of her head, pointed to the porch light and then pushed the door shut.

  Eve frowned. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Jill nodded. “It’s a security camera.”

  She swung toward her house. “I wonder what sort of range it has?”

  “Going by the BMW parked on her drive, I’d say it’s a top of the line one with bells and whistles.”

  As they strode back to the house Eve sunk her teeth into a muffin. “I can understand her being snarky with me, but she didn’t let up. It must be a character trait.”

  “You’re right.” Jill helped herself to a muffin. “One whiff of these little guys and I would have invited you in for a cup and a friendly chat thinking it pays to be friendly with someone who can provide me with delectable food. But that’s just me, always looking on the bright side and choosing to find something good in people instead of fixating on the bad.”

  Eve’s step faltered. “You’re trying to tell me something but I’m choosing not to read too much into what you said.”

  “That’s the spirit. But in case you’re wondering, I was referring to you and your newfound ability to attract mayhem into your life.” Jill shrugged. “I can live with your little failing… I hope.”

  “Thanks for clarifying that. We wouldn’t want any gray areas to come between us.”

  Jill licked her fingers. “I wonder what we’re about to walk into? I’ve been asking myself that quite a lot lately. I guess that means we’re living in interesting times.”

  As soon as they entered the house they heard Josh coming down the stairs.

  “Muffins?” Eve offered and watched him dive in without preamble.

  “You’ve clearly never heard of the reward system.” Jill snatched the basket from his hands. “Report first, eat later.”

  Pleading innocence, Eve put her hands up.

  “The cameraman, Matthew, came in. Rachael kept a lookout. When I came down the stairs I saw her signal for him to go out the back door.”

  “And?” Jill waved a muffin in front of him.

  Josh straightened. “I followed the perpetrator and questioned him. He said he’d come in looking for a snack.”

  “Did you search him?”

  “I let him off with a warning to stay away from the kitchen as it’s still considered a crime scene. Now can I have my muffins?”

  Tuning out of the lovers’ banter, Eve grumbled under her breath and gave the kitchen a skating glance. “There has to be something here. I can’t imagine Matthew and Rachael going to all that trouble just to get some food. I’m not falling for Matthew’s excuse. I’ve been using food to keep them all happy.” She strode over to the pantry. “The police combed through this. How could they not find something?”

  Jill snorted. “They’re not infallible, Eve.”

  Eve swung toward her. “I just remembered what Patrick said about seeing a woman headed toward the house right after she’d signaled Matthew…The morning of the murder. Matthew and Rachael have been working together from the start, trying to get inside the house without being detected.”

  “But why? What were they looking for?”

  “Something they left behind? Something that could incriminate them and it has to be so innocuous as to be easily missed,” Eve reasoned. “I should install a nanny cam in here. I’ll have to look into it. I’m sure it wouldn’t break any privacy laws. I’ve made it perfectly clear to people. The kitchen is out of bounds.” She checked the sugar levels and made a mental note to get more. She was down to two cereal boxes. She didn’t think she’d need to shop for more just yet, but she wanted to be on the safe side, in case someone decided to forego her pastries and go on a health kick.

  Eve shook the box she’d opened that morning. Half full. She frowned. Had she heard something rattle? She gave the box another shake. “There’s something in here.”

  “A prize?” Jill asked.

  “It’s not advertised on the box.” She peered inside. Not seeing anything, she grabbed a bowl and tipped the contents out. “There’s something in the bottom and a hole in the bottom.” She tore the box open. “What on earth is this?”

  “It looks like a camera. A nanny cam.” Jill smiled. “That’s weird. You only just mentioned it. I wonder if this is the law of attraction at work. You say you want one and the universe provided you with one.”

  “So where’s my peace and quiet. I’ve been asking for it since I arrived on the island.”

  “You’re obviously sabotaging yourself.”

  Eve pushed her bottom lip out. “Am not.”

  “Think about it. When you first arrived, you were thinking about your ex embezzling funds from the restaurant. That became your point of attraction. Then… you found a dead body at Mira’s house. It sort of snowballed from there, leaving no room for you to think about peace and quiet. What you think about, you bring about.”

  Eve’s mouth gaped open.

  “That’s right. All your thoughts are becoming real. So… stop thinking about murder and mayhem. I’ve already warned you of the consequences.”

  Eve spread her arms out. “How can I stop thinking about it when I’m surrounded by it all.”

  “You need a tipping point. Have better feeling thoughts and eventually, that’s all you’ll think about. I’ll bet anything that’ll put an end to all these murders cropping up on the island.”

  “I see you’ve found another way to point the finger of blame at me.” She inspected the gadget. “How do nanny cams actually work?”

  “How? I’d be more interested in finding out who is at the other end of it. Someone’s been monitoring your pantry.”

  “That’s the strangest thing that’s come out of your mouth, Jill. Why would—”

  Jill laughed. “Watch this, Josh. Eve’s cranked up her brain. She’s in the process of concocting a
story.”

  Eve lifted a finger calling for a moment of patience. “Who’d be interested in the comings and goings of the kitchen stock? Someone obsessed with food. With the consumption of it or the abstinence of it…”

  “Rachael,” Jill suggested.

  “Why?”

  “She’s determined to catch Catherine in the act. Rachael is her minder. She hovers around Catherine making sure the star doesn’t stray and stuff herself full of chocolate.”

  Eve gave a small nod. “She did the other night. I made her hot chocolate and she said it was the best she’d ever had.”

  “She fell off the wagon and you helped her. If Rachael finds out… I’d hate to be in your shoes. I think her job is to shadow Catherine. She’s obsessed with her own body weight. Have you noticed she only nibbles on food? I’ve never seen her take a proper bite of anything.”

  Josh shook his head and sunk his teeth into another muffin.

  “I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the theory, Josh. It makes sense. Rachael is intent on keeping Catherine happy. I’m thinking Catherine has a weakness for chocolate.” Eve clicked her fingers. “She has to be the chocolate thief.”

  Josh drew out his cell.

  “What are you doing?” Jill demanded.

  “Jack needs to know about the camera.”

  “Why?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? He has the authority to gain access to the trailers. He’ll get a search warrant—”

  Jill snatched the cell from him. “You can’t steal Eve’s thunder.”

  “What?”

  Eve used Jill’s diversion to call Jack. As expected, he didn’t pick up. She sighed and started keying in a text.

  Jill danced away from Josh and handed Eve his phone. “Here, I bet you anything this one will work better.”

  Worth a try, Eve thought.

  “Hey. That’s police property.”

  Jack picked up straight away. “What’s happened?”

  “You didn’t pick up my call.”

  “Eve? What…Why are you calling on Josh’s cell? Has something happened to him?”

  “He’s fine.”

  “Why are you using his phone?”

  “Because this is a priority call and you don’t seem to think a call coming from my phone is important enough to pick up.”

  “That has nothing to do with it,” he said on a long exhalation.

  “Then explain why my calls always go to voice mail?”

  Another sigh, this time it carried a hint of exasperation. She imagined him raking his fingers through his hair, his calm demeanor fractured.

  “If you must know, it usually takes me a while to digest what you have to say.”

  “Are you suggesting I don’t make sense?”

  “You make perfect sense, Eve. But… the moment I hear your voice…”

  “What?”

  He cleared his throat. “It runs interference, Eve. I can’t focus.” His words sounded muffled as if he’d brushed his hand across his face as he spoke.

  “Oh. I see.” She grinned. “My voice gets you all hot and bothered.”

  “All right. All right. Don’t let it go to your head.”

  “Okay, pay attention, Jack. This is important.” She told him about the security camera across the street and the nanny cam she’d discovered in the pantry. “I’m thinking the neighbor’s camera might have caught sight of the killer. And whoever installed the nanny cam has to be accessing it on their laptops or maybe even their phones. I suppose you’ll search everyone’s laptops.”

  “Put Josh on the line.”

  “Why?”

  “You say Rachael and Matthew were working in tandem. They might have been trying to get the nanny cam out of the house before someone found it. Now you’ve found it. They’re bound to know.”

  “Are you about to tell me my life’s in danger?”

  “I don’t want you taking unnecessary risks. I don’t want you or Jill going anywhere alone.”

  “I think you might be overreacting. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for the camera. If it had anything to do with Randal’s death, they would have removed it long ago.” Eve held the camera up to her face. “Is the camera controlled remotely?”

  “They’d be able to access the images on a computer or cell. Depending on how it’s set up,” Jack said.

  “Are you saying they could be listening to this conversation?”

  “Just put the camera out of sight. I’ll be there shortly. And Eve…”

  “Yes?”

  “Please don’t do anything… rash.”

  “I promise.”

  “Eve?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you by any chance holding the cam up to your face?”

  “Would I do something so silly?” She put the camera down and handed the cell over to Josh.

  “So, what did Jack have to say for himself?” Jill asked.

  Eve smiled dreamily. “The usual warnings.”

  “That goes without saying. You’re a sitting target now. More than ever before, actually. Once word gets out about you finding the nanny cam, and it’s bound to, the killer will want to get his revenge. Even if you were having second thoughts about setting a trap, you’ve done it. Without even trying.”

  “Thanks for pointing that out. I would have preferred to remain blissfully ignorant.”

  “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

  “How can you think of food at a time like this?”

  “Easy. This is the calm before the storm. I’m assuming the owners of that cam don’t know yet about its discovery. Once Jack makes his move, watch out.”

  Eve got busy organizing dinner. Since she never knew how many of the crew would come in she’d been preparing a buffet, keeping it simple by offering a variety of salads, chicken and some sort of roast meat. Once she opened the inn for business it would be an entirely different story. By then, she’d have staff working for her as well as a proper commercial kitchen.

  “You’ve got that dreamy look happening. Are you thinking about your stove?” Jill asked.

  “It was only a fleeting thought.” She set to work chopping vegetables all the while thinking about the camera in the pantry. “I wonder when the camera was put there?”

  Josh strode into the kitchen. “Jack’s on his way.”

  “That was quick. I thought it took longer to organize a search warrant.”

  “He was in luck. He found a judge straightaway. Just so you know, I’m under strict orders to not let either of you out of my sight.”

  “We only really need to be wary of a couple of people.” Eve set her knife down. “Then again, there’s a reason why the killer hasn’t been caught yet. He… or she is good at blending in.”

  Chapter Nine

  “It’s been three hours. What’s taking Jack so long?” Eve asked as she returned from the dining room. All the crew had chosen to have dinner at the inn. She’d almost been overwhelmed by the sudden rush of activity but at least they hadn’t all descended on her at once.

  “You’ll have to make that pasta salad again,” Jill said, “ It was a hit and I barely got to have a plateful of it. Someone shoved me out of the way to get to it.”

  “I can’t believe you’re still eating.” Eve turned her attention to stacking the dishwasher.

  “It’s how I deal with waiting. I can’t stand the suspense.” Jill threw her hands up in the air. “Who’s behind the nanny cam?”

  “You’ve never had any problems playing the waiting game. Are you developing some sort of eating disorder?”

  “Binge stress eating?” Jill tilted her head in thought. “Maybe.”

  “You should take up yoga. That should relax you.”

  “That’s a worthwhile activity for your inn. You know, stuff for people to do when they come and stay here. It’ll keep their thoughts away from worrying if they’ll be killed in their sleep.”

  “I guess I’ll have to start working on a list. It’ll be a pleasant
change to compiling a list of suspects. What else could guests do?”

  “Horse riding along the beach. You’ve already suggested painting classes and I’m still thinking about teaching them. You could do cooking lessons. Mira might be interested in doing some sort of writing workshop for aspiring romance authors.”

  “I like that idea. Remind me to mention it to her,” Eve murmured distractedly as she sent her gaze skipping around the dining area.

  “What are you looking at?” Jill went to stand behind her.

  “We need to keep our eyes on the obvious suspects. Rachael just came into the dining room. She’s using a teaspoon to load her plate.”

  Jill smacked her lips together. “There’s something seriously wrong with her.”

  “I haven’t seen Catherine. Has she come down to dinner?” Eve tried to sound casual but her tone carried a degree of concern.

  “There’s your answer. Rachael is heading up the stairs.”

  “Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Marina either. I’m becoming obsessed with knowing where people are.”

  “And with good reason. Marina is a latecomer to all this. She could be drawing her last breath even as we speak.”

  They looked at each other and nodded. “We should go check.”

  As they reached the second floor landing they saw Matthew coming out of Marina’s room.

  “What do we do now?” Jill whispered and tugged her back.

  Eve didn’t budge. When Matthew saw them, he hesitated.

  “It’s not what it looks like,” he said.

  “We haven’t had a chance to form any opinions. How about you tell us what we should think?” Eve suggested.

  “I’m… I’m acting as go-between. Marina doesn’t get on well with the producer and some decisions need to be made.”

  He gestured for them to lead the way down the stairs but Eve stood her ground.

  “Marina hasn’t had dinner. I’m going to ask her if she wants me to bring something up for her.”

  “No need.”

  “I insist.” Before he could stop her, Eve knocked on the door. When she didn’t hear an answer, she eased the door open a crack and called out Marina’s name. Hearing no response, she strode in. Marina wasn’t in her room. Eve swung toward Matthew. “Why did you say she was here? Clearly she’s not.”