Mission to Murder (A Tourist Trap Mystery)

by Lynn Cahoon

  My lips curled into a grin. “Good, because I’m tired of the thing scratching me.”

  Justin asked for a small box and packed the sextant carefully into the container. “I’ll drive it over to the university myself tomorrow.” His grin was wider than my own. “You want a receipt?”

  “Is there a reason I should?” I glanced at Amy, who shook her head.

  Justin hadn’t seen the exchange, his focus still on the sextant. “If we’re right, this could be valuable. For the historic significance alone.”

  Amy took his arm and led him to the table. “She’s teasing you.”

  I raised my eyebrows as the two sat. And because I couldn’t help myself, I asked, “So, how’s Hank?”

  Amy flushed. “I kid you not, I’m going to kill that guy if I ever see him again.”

  “Not if I see him first,” Justin growled and squeezed Amy’s hand.

  Aunt Jackie set the bowl of pasta in the middle of the table next to the green salad and garlic bread. “Oh, do tell. I love gossip.”

  Amy filled her plate with pasta, then handed the bowl to Justin. “Remember the weekend he wanted me to drive up the coast with him?”

  I nodded, filling my salad bowl and passing the salad to Jackie.

  “Well, he was moving a friend. Tony. Except, T-O-N-I”—she spelled out the name—“wasn’t an old buddy. She was his new live-in. And he thought we’d get along famously.”

  I choked on the glass of water. “He thought you’d be okay with him living with another girl?”

  “Apparently, my surfing and independence led him to believe I was a free thinker.” Amy shook her head.

  “Yeah, like all surfers are into the free love, hippie scene of fifty years ago,” Justin added.

  I laughed and the action felt good, real somehow. A knock came at the kitchen door, and when I turned, Greg stood there. Jackie beat me to the door, opening it. He walked in, pulled me out of my chair, and hugged me.

  “Hey, big guy,” I murmured into his neck.

  He shifted, then whispered back, “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

  I stepped away and slapped his chest with both hands. “Like I had any choice? Toby left to go chase after Ray with you. Wasn’t he supposed to be my bodyguard?”

  Greg grabbed a plate from the cupboard and pulled a chair up next to mine. “Don’t get me started. Toby and I have been beating ourselves up for that bad decision since Josh called in the nine-one-one.”

  “Josh was heroic today,” Jackie said as she filled Greg’s plate with pasta and handed him the salad bowl.

  “You sound like you like him,” I teased and her face went bright pink. “You going to give him a second date?”

  Her lips pursed, and then she sighed. “I’ve already told him he can pick me up next Saturday. We’re going into town for a play.”

  Glancing around the table, I smiled. The group gathered seemed more like family than I’d had in a long time. A family that might be growing to include others. Although unless Josh stopped this Craig-initiated attack on the wall, I wasn’t sure I was ready to have him as part of the pack I called my own.

  Esmeralda’s comment rang in my ear. Talk to the dog lady. Such a random comment, it couldn’t have meant anything. But something about the case still bothered me. Fifi. I glanced at Greg.

  “Did you find Ray?” I started eating as I waited for an answer.

  “He’s locked up over at the station. The state guys are picking him up tomorrow. They had their hands full with your friends tonight. Tim’s playing guard right now.” He took a bite of pasta, almost groaning in pleasure at the creamy sauce. He waved a fork at Jackie. “This is amazing.”

  I almost asked how he didn’t know I cooked, then ignored the question. “So was he the one who tied up Fifi?”

  Greg stopped shoveling the food into his mouth. He frowned. “I forgot about Fifi.” He wiped his mouth and considered my question. “Why?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing. Esmeralda came by with another message from beyond. I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything.”

  Greg was already pushing back his chair. “I’ll call Tim. Ray seems to be chatty, wanting to do everything he can to lessen his sentence. We found drugs at the trailer, so he knows he’s doing some time. Maybe he’ll answer this.”

  “You don’t have to—” I started, but Greg put his hand on my arm, quieting my objections.

  “I’ve learned never to dismiss Esmeralda’s comments, even as random as they usually are. Sometimes she’s right.” He walked away, dialing his cell.

  By the time he came back, Amy and Justin had finished their dinner and were dishing up chocolate-chip ice cream for the table. I loved watching them work together. Now, this was the boyfriend Amy deserved.

  Greg sat down and regarded me. “You were right. Ray took Fifi out on the beach to get her out of the way for Reno and Lisa. That was his part of the whole plan. But he thought they were going to rob Craig, not kill him. At least that’s what he’s telling Tim.”

  “No wonder Fifi went crazy when she saw Ray in town. She must have remembered him taking her.” I accepted the bowl of ice cream Justin handed me.

  “Apparently it was more than that. Ray says the dog reacted every time he got close. Didn’t like him from the first day he saw her.” Greg finished his dinner, then took his plate to the sink and returned with his own bowl.

  Amy sat down across from us. “Maybe she didn’t like the smell of him. Ray always reeked of whatever drug he took. Alcohol, weed, crack, the guy stunk.”

  “Maybe she should have been a police dog. She could have sniffed out the drugs and saved us a lot of time.” Aunt Jackie started rinsing dishes.

  Greg stopped eating, staring at Jackie.

  “What?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

  He studied me. “Police dogs are trained to react when they smell drugs. It’s not something that just happens. Someone was training Fifi.”

  CHAPTER 24

  The big night had finally arrived. Cloaked in Mystery was about to reveal the author who was celebrating his or her launch with Coffee, Books, and More. And I still didn’t know who was walking through that door.

  Bill Simmons came and stood next to me near the windows. “Shouldn’t you be up there?” He motioned to the front of the room, where Toby stood guarding the door to the back office.

  “This is Jackie’s big night. I’m letting her do the honors.” I glanced over at one of the two men who’d saved me in the last week. I didn’t realize I was such a damsel in distress, but I now had not one, but two knights in shiny armor. And that was before I considered my hunk of a boyfriend. And all of a sudden, I realized what I’d forgotten. “I never got back with you about the reservation. Did you cancel the author’s room?”

  Bill smiled. “Actually, no. I figured you had your hands full with being held hostage and all. So I’m giving your aunt the benefit of the doubt. Of course, I might be hitting you up for damages if this turns into a big scam.”

  “I’ll pay.” I was too tired to fight anymore. I hoped my aunt wasn’t playing the gathered group as fools, or I’d never hear the end of it.

  He put his hand on my arm. “I’m kidding. You’re part of the South Cove business community now. We have to support each other.” He nodded to a woman who sat in the audience. “My wife is lonely. We’ll talk at the meeting next week?”

  “Sure.” I couldn’t say more. For the first time in the five years I’d owned my business here in South Cove, I felt like I belonged. Of course, maybe Josh Thomas opening his antique store next door moved me one step up the ladder. He was now the new kid, a role I’d played for too long. I searched the crowded room for Josh, my other knight from the last week. He sat alone near the back of the room. As annoying as he was, I wasn’t going to make him go through what I had for these last years. I moved toward him, planning on sitting next to him, when a hand caught my arm.

  Brenda Morgan stood next to me and grabbed me into a bear hug. I
’d been getting this reaction from many people lately. I was almost used to the contact. When she released me, I smiled. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

  Her eyes widened. “I can’t believe what happened. Are you all right?”

  I led her to the back row and sat her down. “I’m fine. Shell-shocked still, but they didn’t hurt me. You must be happy they’ve found Craig’s killer.”

  Brenda’s face flushed. “If I’d thought what I knew would have helped, I would have told Greg, really.”

  “I don’t understand.” Esmeralda’s words started echoing in my head. “What didn’t you tell Greg?”

  Brenda glanced around the room, seeming to take in the family feel of South Cove, and I wondered if she would take the chance of moving here. “I knew Craig was transporting drugs. The feds trained me to teach Fifi to recognize drugs to help trap him. But she never picked up on anything with Craig, just Ray. And Agent Jenkins, he said that wasn’t enough.”

  “The feds were watching Craig already?” I wondered if Greg knew how closely Brenda had been working with the law enforcement agency.

  She nodded. “Of course, they wanted Craig or some guy in the gang called Sargent. But I never met anyone from the gang, not even the guy who …” she paused.

  “Reno, the guy who tried to kill me?” I let the implication hang in the air. If Brenda had been open, Greg might have figured this out sooner. And Toby might not have left me alone. And if wishes were horses, all beggars would ride. “Look, no use dealing with what might have been. Water under the bridge, spilt milk, yada, yada. I’m glad you came today.”

  She smiled, then handed me an envelope. “I emptied the safety deposit box and I think you need this.”

  I unclasped the top of the envelope, but tucked it under my chair again when I saw Amy and Justin come in the door. “Excuse me.”

  I had about two seconds to greet and usher my friends into the last two seats next to Josh when the lights flickered and my aunt appeared at the podium.

  She adjusted the microphone. “Thank you all for coming out for our first annual Cloaked in Mystery event. We have one prize to award before we get on with tonight’s event. I said if someone guessed the author, we’d give them a set of the author’s signed backlist, current release, and a night at South Cove’s best bed-and-breakfast. We had only one correct guess.”

  I inspected the crowd that filled the room, wondering who’d figured it out.

  My aunt caught my eye and grinned. “Will Sadie Michaels please come up to the front? She’s our winner and will be introducing our guest.”

  Sadie jumped from her seat. Nick sat next to her, a big grin on his face. Apparently his heartbreak from Lisa dumping him had been eased when he found out she was hanging with the drug-dealing motorcycle club. I’d heard from Carrie at the diner he’d taken up with one of the other waitresses, a college-bound girl working the summer. Someone his mom apparently liked.

  I watched as Sadie made her way up the crowded aisle. I hoped the fire marshal wouldn’t start counting people as he sat in the crowded room, because we were well over the eighty he’d set as the max occupants for the shop when I applied for my city license. Instead he clapped and grinned with the rest of the crowd.

  When Sadie got to the front, she turned her gaze to the door. “I want you to give a big South Cove welcome to this thriller author who got his start writing short stories as a way to pay the bills. His first novel hit the New York Times list for two weeks. And the rest is history. Please welcome, author of The Silent Child, Nathan Pike.”

  The room stood as the tall, bald-headed author walked into the room. Of all the people I’d considered, Nathan Pike hadn’t even been on my list. The guy was a literary rock star. If Jackie planned on making this an annual event, she had big shoes to fill for next year.

  As we sat and Nathan took over the podium, first charming us with his good-old-boy southern humor, then reading from his new release, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Greg stood behind me and leaned down to kiss me as I gazed up into those blue eyes. And for the second time in less than a week, I felt surrounded by family. Amy squeezed my hand, as I brushed tears away from my eyes.

  This was a happy day. No tears allowed.

  Three hours later, the room finally emptied out and Jackie and Nathan left to get him set up at Bill’s. Toby finished stacking the folding chairs on the cart. He’d take them back tomorrow to Pastor Bill at the Methodist church. Amy, Justin, Greg, and I sat on the couches returned from the back room to in front of the fake fireplace. I was exhausted.

  Toby brought over a soda and tossed me the envelope Brenda had given me earlier. “This was under a chair.”

  Crap, I’d almost forgotten. I tried to move the envelope closer to me with one toe. Greg laughed. “I’ll get it, princess.”

  He reached over and grabbed the envelope, then put my bare foot into his lap and rubbed out the kinks.

  I opened the envelope and dumped the contents onto my lap. It was pages from a notebook. I peered closer. I’d seen pages this size before. “Wait, this is exactly like the notebook Craig and Josh claim they found showing the true mission site.”

  Justin leaned closer as I put the pages and the small notebook on the coffee table that sat between the two couches. “You’re right. Exact same paper. I knew something was fishy with that book.”

  “But it tested out.” He’d told me the paper had been old.

  He smiled, looking at the trial maps Craig had drawn on page after page of the notebook. “Just because the paper was from that time, doesn’t mean Craig didn’t do the map himself. I’m an idiot. Once the paper was tested, I never thought to time-date the ink.”

  “So this means?” I couldn’t breathe.

  “That the map he submitted to the council is probably a total fake.” Justin glanced up at me. “Where did you get this?”

  I thought about Brenda and her distress at my suffering. I smiled. “A friend.”

  Tomorrow would be soon enough to provide the commission with proof Craig had lied when he tried to torpedo the mission wall certification. And we’d be one more step closer to protecting the site.

  Tonight, we were celebrating. And nothing was going to stand in the way of a mini-party with good friends. I smiled at the group. “Who wants double Dutch chocolate cheesecake?”

  CHAPTER 25

  Darla Taylor droned on about the ongoing Summer Festival. I sipped my coffee and half-listened while I studied the round table of business owners and representatives. We had a new member this month, and I smiled over my cup when she rolled her eyes in response to Darla’s list of offenders.

  “The Castle hasn’t even participated in the decorating plan.” Darla shook her finger at Brenda, the newly hired manager. The board of directors had been swayed by her impassioned plea to continue her husband’s work at the site along with the number of shares in the corporation Brenda now owned as Craig’s widow. I tended to believe her financial interest was what moved the board’s hearts to hire her, not Craig’s memory, but what can I say? I’m a cynic.

  Brenda took a sip of her coffee before she answered Darla’s complaint. “Honey, it’s not like we haven’t been busy around here, with the funeral and catching a murderer.” When Darla had the good sense to blush, Brenda continued, “The Castle is more than willing to participate in the Summer Festival, and we’d like to do more than decorate.”

  Bill Simmons leaned forward in his chair. In fact, the entire table seemed on edge, wondering what Brenda was bringing to the table. Under Craig, The Castle had never even allowed South Cove flyers on the property. A slight that Bill took seriously. He tried to play it cool, though, I’d give him that. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Friday Fireworks.” Brenda smiled. “For the next two months, we’ve hired a company to set off fireworks at dusk.”

  “Probably on The Castle grounds,” Darla huffed, feeling the mood of the table shift in Brenda’s favor.

  “Actually, they’ll be on the ci
ty beach. Well, out in the water on a boat, but I thought we could set up a few vending booths for snacks and drinks, and maybe even a band or two that might bring in the younger generation.” Brenda grinned at me. “So what do you think?”

  “I’m willing to do an iced coffee stand for a few weeks.” Mentally, I planned out what I’d need. Including hiring one or two local teenagers to help work the event, the idea had potential.

  “The city council won’t just approve something like that,” Darla pushed.

  I assumed her concern revolved around the customers who might be pulled away from the winery to watch the show. “You have a great view of the ocean from the winery patio. If we kept the beach alcohol-free, your customer base shouldn’t be affected, right?”

  Darla considered the possibility. Then Toby, who’d come in early for his Tuesday shift, spoke up from behind the bar, where he’d been making coffee. “And having the beach alcohol-free would ease the security issues that I’m sure the council will be concerned about.”

  And your other boss, I added silently.

  The group was nodding. Brenda glanced around the table and grinned. “Great, I’ll go to City Hall today and get the permits. I hear Mayor Baylor is a big fan of The Castle, so I don’t expect any problems with shooting for starting at the end of the month.”

  Darla sank back in her chair, her righteous indignation deflated.

  Bill glanced around the table. “So, if we don’t have another subject, I believe we can thank our hostess and end the meeting.”

  Josh raised his hand. “There are just a few things.”

  The group at the table collectively groaned. I guess some people never changed, even if they could act heroic at times. Bill sighed and nodded to Josh. “Concerns?”

  “We’ve never talked about the animal control issue.” Josh frowned and looked over at me. “And if I’m not mistaken, Miss Gardner promised that Detective King would be at this meeting to discuss the teen loitering problem.”