Dead in the Water_A fun and fast-paced private investigator cozy mystery/beach read

by Rose Pressey

  Brigette looked confused that the detective knew me. Especially after I’d tried to sell her magazines at the scene of a death investigation. This was so bizarre.

  “There’s a man inside. He’s cold so I think he’s been there for a while,” I said.

  “Thank you for that assessment,” Jake said. “Stay here.”

  Jake disappeared inside the house as other police cars pulled up. Other officers followed him as I stood in front of Brigette. Her arms were crossed in front of her as she eyed me up and down. Suddenly I sensed anger coming from her. A few seconds later Jake came back out and talked to some of the other officers. Brigette’s silent stare was making me uncomfortable. Thank goodness Jake stepped back over to us.

  “I discovered the body.” Brigette held her hand up. “Then I saw her peeking in the window. I think she did it.”

  What? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

  “I saw her sneaking around too,” the neighbor yelled.

  Oh, my God. I couldn’t believe this was happening. This was totally not how I’d expected for this to turn out.

  “Maggie, I need you to place your hands behind your back.” Jake pulled out his handcuffs.

  I stared at him with my mouth open. His words weren’t computing in my mind. After a few seconds with Jake staring, I put my hands behind my back. He placed the cold metal handcuffs on my wrists. I was being handcuffed and apparently charged with murder over just a couple of people saying they saw me peeking in a window.

  “This is ridiculous. Jake, what are you doing? I had nothing to do with this. You know that.”

  The clicking sound of the metal cuffs sounded so final. Panic rushed through me.

  “It’s all just formality, Maggie. Just let me figure out what’s going on.”

  He seemed more frustrated than I’d ever seen him. But he wasn’t nearly as frustrated as me. Brigette smirked at me, as if she was satisfied with the outcome of me being in handcuffs.

  Another detective pulled Brigette to the side while Jake questioned me. It was extremely awkward considering I was handcuffed.

  “I know you’re mad at me, Maggie, but I have to do this or else people will think I’m giving you special treatment.”

  “I would think that you would give me special treatment considering I didn’t murder anyone. You know I could never do something like that.” I wiggled my wrists.

  “Can you tell me why you were here?” Jake studied my face.

  “Well, of course, I was spying on the woman.” I gestured toward Brigette with a tilt of my head.

  After I recounted the whole story, Jake removed the handcuffs. When my hands were finally free I rubbed my wrists.

  “Thank you,” I said in a snippy tone.

  “Don’t be mad at me,” Jake said, putting his handcuffs away.

  When I peered over Jake’s shoulder, my eyes widened. I was surprised to see the police officers handcuffing Brigette. That went a long way at helping me forgive Jake.

  “What happened there?” I pointed.

  “Maggie, you know I can’t discuss that with you,” Jake said.

  I’d known he’d say that. Regardless, I’d find out somehow. This meant I had a whole new situation on my hands. But I supposed the fact that Brigette was being arrested didn’t matter. I’d figured out she was cheating, but I had no photographic proof. However, now that her lover was gone, the case would be over for me, right? Although… maybe it was still on the table. Her ex-husband would be stunned when he found out. My curiosity had me wondering if he had murdered the lover. Brigette said she hadn’t done it, so what did the police know that made them think differently? I needed to figure this out.

  “What’s going on in that mind of yours, Maggie?” Jake asked.

  “Oh, nothing. Just thinking about being handcuffed,” I said.

  “I get the feeling you’re not going to let me forget about that.”

  “That wasn’t exactly how I pictured being handcuffed.”

  His eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Never mind.” I needed to change the subject.

  “All is forgiven?” Jake flashed me his best sad-eyed look.

  I waved my hands. “Oh, no. This doesn’t mean that I’m not still mad at you.”

  “Oh, come on, Maggie. Where’s your sense of humor?”

  “It probably left when my hands were behind my back. To make matters worse, you won’t tell me what’s going on with this investigation.” I placed my hands on my hips.

  “How do you know it’s an investigation?” He quirked an eyebrow.

  “Well, you just arrested that woman.” I gestured.

  “It could be on other charges,” he said with a lopsided grin.

  Yeah, right. I wasn’t believing that excuse. If he wouldn’t tell me then I’d have to research and find out on my own if she had any other charges.

  The neighbor was still out in her front yard eyeing every move we made. I gave her a smile so that she wouldn’t turn on me. How did I know she hadn’t murdered the man? After all, she had been outside. She could’ve been in the house, killed him, and gone back to her front lawn. We’d never be the wiser.

  “I believe it’s time for me to get out of here before you handcuff me again,” I said.

  “Does this mean that we’re not on for dinner tonight?” Jake asked.

  “I’ll let you figure that out,” I said as I walked toward my car.

  The neighbor watched as I scrolled past. I wouldn’t give her the happiness of looking over at her. I would act like she didn’t exist. Was I holding a grudge against Jake? Maybe. I wouldn’t let him off that easily. I’d make him work for forgiveness for a little bit. Not too long though because he was cute.

  I was just glad that I was now back in my car and not going to jail. At least for now. There was no telling what Brigette would tell them when she got to the police station. As I pulled away from the scene, I glanced in the rearview mirror at Jake. He stood in the yard watching my car. Was I really going out with Jake tonight? Yeah, I’d probably give in and go.

  Chapter 5

  I pulled up to my apartment building. It was actually just one building with a few tiny apartments and a courtyard in the middle. Since it was close to the beach I’d forgive the smallness and lack of amenities. Although the pool in the courtyard was fabulous.

  The parking was one of those missing amenities. It was hard to find a spot along the street close to my building. The surrounding palm trees in the landscaping gave that perfect tropical vibe. Luckily, I managed to find a good parking spot today. I pulled up to the curb and just sat there for a moment, trying to decide what to do next.

  I still wasn’t sure if I was going out on that date with Jake. More than likely he would be too busy with the new investigation to go anyway. That would probably make the decision for me. I should just change into my swimsuit and take a dip in the pool. Then again, I supposed I should call my client first before I did anything else.

  Did he already know what had happened to his wife? I didn’t want to be the one to break this news to him. Nevertheless, I wanted him to know as well. I dialed his number and he picked up on the second ring.

  “Mr. Whitmore, I have something to tell you.” My voice wavered a bit.

  “Did you manage to get evidence against her today?” Mr. Whitmore asked.

  “Well, I did catch them together,” I said.

  That was the truth. I had definitely caught them together.

  “Yes, but you’ve done that before,” he said.

  “Have you spoken with the police?” I asked.

  “No. Did something happen?”

  “I have some bad news,” I said. “Your wife has been charged with murder.”

  Silence filled the other end of the line.

  After a few more seconds, he said, “Are you playing a joke on me?”

  “No joke,” I said. “Her boyfriend was murdered, and they think she did it.”

  “When did this happen? Weren’t you
just at the pool with them?” he asked.

  “It just happened about an hour ago. Um, I was on scene,” I said.

  “Maybe you should explain this from the beginning,” he said.

  I recounted the entire situation while he listened silently.

  “So that’s what happened,” I said, wrapping up the whole ordeal.

  I left out the part about me being handcuffed because I didn’t want to put that mental image into his head. After all, I was trying to be somewhat of a professional. If it looked like I was being arrested for murder, then I definitely wouldn’t seem professional.

  My phone beeped, announcing another call. I checked the screen. It was Jake.

  “Can you hold for just a moment, Mr. Whitmore?” I asked.

  “Sure,” he said, still sounding confused.

  I switched over to the call.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Detective Jackson,” I said.

  Jake chuckled. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite private investigator.”

  “And exactly why are you calling?” I asked.

  “To see if we’re still on for our date, of course.”

  I was actually kind of surprised that he’d called. But then again, I was a little surprised that I had answered. So much for making him wait and being mysterious.

  “I don’t know,” I said, trying to keep up the façade. “I thought you would be busy with the murder investigation. It was a murder, correct?”

  He sighed. “We’ll know more after the autopsy, but there were marks on his neck which suggested a murder.”

  “And you have the killer in custody,” I said. “The case is all wrapped up for you?”

  “Not exactly, but I don’t intend on working all night,” he said.

  I yawned. “I don’t know. I’m feeling a bit tired. Plus, I had a traumatic day. You know, with being arrested and all.”

  “Yes, you have been through a lot and I want to make it up to you,” he said. “I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant.”

  Hmm. I was hungry.

  “If you say yes I suppose there’s something I can share with you about this case,” Jake said.

  “It sounds like you’re trying to bribe me.”

  “Not at all,” he said.

  “Okay, if there’s something you want to tell me it must be good, because you never want to tell me anything about a case,” I said. “Can’t you tell me now? You know I can’t wait.”

  I was intrigued.

  “Mrs. Whitmore has already been bailed out.”

  “What? Already?” My voice was louder than I’d intended.

  My phone beeped and I realized I’d left Mr. Whitmore on hold. He must have gotten tired of waiting and hung up. Now he was calling me back.

  “Jake, let me call you back. I have to take this other call. I’ll let you know about dinner.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” he said.

  I switched over to Mr. Whitmore. “I’m sorry about that. Where were we?”

  “Mrs. Whitmore has been arrested,” he said.

  “Right. It seems as if she’s already been bailed out,” I said.

  “What? Where did she get the money? I knew she had more than she let on. I’m telling my attorney about this.” Anger oozed from his voice. “Sorry about losing my temper for a moment. I didn’t mean to rant to you. I know you’re a busy professional.”

  I’d just let that statement about me being a busy professional go.

  “I understand that you’re upset. Do you think your wife would kill Luke?” I asked.

  “No and I need you to find out who killed this man.”

  “What did you say?”

  “Let me explain. If she really did it, then she might try to set me up for this murder. She’ll try to put the blame on me. Even if she killed him, she won’t want to go down for it. And I will be the likely suspect.”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” I said.

  I couldn’t argue with him about that. She would probably point a finger at him. And if not at him then definitely me. She’d already done that once.

  “You have to help me,” he said.

  I really wished I didn’t have to get involved in this because it would be yet another investigation that Jake would think I was butting my way into. But this was legitimate. I had a reason. After all, Jake had handcuffed me. Okay, I kept going back to that. I should just let it go.

  “Well, what do you say?” he asked, snapping me back to attention.

  I’d been daydreaming way too much, as usual.

  “Okay, I’ll do it,” I said. “But it might not be easy. I’ll have to do a lot of work on this so I’ll need to speak with you again on a regular basis.”

  “You just let me know what to do and I’ll be ready. I want to avoid any of this getting ugly.”

  I hated to break it to him, but it had already gotten ugly. It was probably only going to get worse.

  “All right, I’ll get to work on this right away. I’ll keep in touch and let you know what I find out.”

  “I really appreciate that. And I have to say, to be honest, I don’t think that she would murder him. What would be her motive? She may be a cheater, but I don’t think she’s a murderer.”

  “You’re probably right about that,” I said.

  Would the husband be the one to ultimately get his wife off for killing her lover? That would be a strange twist.

  “I’ll call you soon,” I said.

  As I stepped into my apartment I decided to give Jake a call back. Now that I was going to investigate the case I needed to find out what he knew. Even though he said he’d talk over dinner, I couldn’t just come out and ask him. I’d have to be subtle about it, which wasn’t one of my greatest strengths.

  “Well, my favorite private detective returns my call,” he said when he answered.

  Jake had known I’d call him back.

  “Are you still at the scene of the crime?” I asked.

  After the words left my mouth, I wanted to smack myself. I should’ve been a little more restrained on mentioning the case. It was the first thing out of my mouth! He would be suspicious, but I was just being inquisitive. That was all he needed to know.

  “Actually, I just left the scene,” he said.

  Now what would I ask him that wouldn’t make him suspicious?

  “Wait a minute,” Jake said.

  I stopped in my tracks as if he was literally telling me to wait.

  “You’re not thinking of investigating this case, are you?”

  How dare he accuse me of that.

  “How long has it been? Two minutes?” he asked.

  “No,” I said in a singsong voice.

  My tone of voice made it even worse. It was practically as if I’d said yes.

  “Maggie, please don’t do anything.”

  “I’m sorry, Jake, but you can’t tell me what to do,” I said.

  “No, I can’t, but I’m asking you not to do it.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I asked.”

  “That’s not a good enough reason. Plus, I have a reason for investigating.”

  “Is this because of the handcuff incident?” he asked.

  “No.” Of course that was part of the reason, but not the biggest reason. “Actually, I’ve been hired to investigate the murder.”

  “Who hired you?” Suspicion filled his voice.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t divulge that information,” I said.

  “I’m not sure if I believe you.”

  I scoffed. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I should go now.”

  “Wait, Maggie,” he said as I clicked off the call.

  I kind of felt bad for ending the call like that, and I contemplated calling Jake back. I could send a text. However, before I had a chance, he sent me a message.

  I don’t want you to be in danger.

  I typed frantically on my phone.

  I understand, but it’s what I have to do. I’ll call you lat
er.

  He sent back an emoji and the word: Smooches.

  I’d just hit the send button on a kissing smiley face when my phone rang again. It wasn’t Jake this time. Dorothy was calling.

  “Maggie, my goodness, what is going on with you?”

  How had she heard so quickly?

  “I have my ways, Maggie,” she said. “I have sources.”

  “I didn’t ask you anything yet,” I said.

  “I knew what you were going to ask,” Dorothy said.

  “Wait. If you have sources, then why don’t you tell me about the sources? I could really use some good sources occasionally, you know. It’s good for business.”

  “Well, you know Morty has a friend who works for the police department. And he said there was a murder and that you had been temporarily detained. Are you in jail?” she asked.

  “No, I’m not in jail. However, I was temporarily handcuffed by Jake.”

  Silence filled the other end of the line. This might be the only time I’d heard her so quiet.

  “I don’t know what to say. You finally got me. I’m speechless now.” Dorothy said.

  “Brigette was ultimately arrested. She was pointing fingers at me saying that I did it. All because I was peeking in her window.”

  “How ridiculous. A girl should be able to peek in windows without being arrested,” Dorothy said in the mocking tone.

  “You know I wouldn’t do anything bad.”

  “I don’t know, Maggie, you got awfully mad that day that guy almost hit your car.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t that mad. I just called him a jerk. I wouldn’t kill him, for heaven’s sake.”

  “We need to discuss this further. Why don’t you come to the ocean view restaurant and have a drink with me?”

  “You know, Dorothy, that might not be such a bad idea. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  “Just be careful,” she said.

  Chapter 6

  I couldn’t help but notice that a white van had been trailing me since I’d made a left at the traffic light down the street from my apartment. Perhaps the driver thought I was clueless and wouldn’t notice. The van was one of those types that I associated with serial killers. Not that all white vans were driven by serial killers, but they had to be the preferred method of transportation for killers since the vehicle would have plenty of room to carry a body and there were no windows in the back so that no one would see the body. The abducted person wouldn’t be able to summon help from any passing cars. Therefore, I didn’t want to find out if this van was driven by a serial killer. But they were making every move I made.