Killer Beach Reads

by Gemma Halliday Publishing

  "Sorry you missed it," I said.

  "That's okay, this was entertaining, too." He nodded toward the commotion of loading the shrieking Jane on to a gurney.

  "Aubrey would have been better off with Bea. She's just mean, not crazy."

  "Nature versus nurture, the debate rages on," Ryan said as he stood with me in his arms. "I think the paramedic should check you out too."

  "I was hoping that fell under your list of assigned duties." I flashed a smile at him.

  "Yes, I believe it does," he said as he strolled down the hall.

  We got to my desk, and he set me down. The office doors were open, and the noise from the elevators bounced up as Jane continued to squawk.

  "Those men aren't paid enough," I said.

  "But they have hilarious stories." He put his arm around my waist.

  The elevator doors slid open, and a uniformed man stepped out into the hall. He wheeled a black case behind him as he checked his tablet. The office door was still propped open, and he proceeded in.

  "Sorry I'm late, traffic sucks in this city. Did somebody here call about a copier repair?" he asked.

  I raised my hand and led him to the mailroom.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Six months later and after a forty-year hiatus, Manuel had returned to the art world.

  Everett Chase opened the Ishawa house, decorated for the holidays, and let the sun and critics in. The paintings were displayed throughout the downstairs rooms. The music room boasted a grand piano and a portrait of Caitlin. She stood as hostess, grinning from ear to ear, a mix of pride and delight in the attention.

  Security was tight, but my badge noted my elite status. Ryan, my husband of two months, held my hand as we took a private tour. The lush colors and elaborate costumes adorned the tango dancers in a whirl of movement. Then there were the portraits of Amanda. Breathtaking, not just due to her beauty, but because of the love permeating the canvas.

  "Gretchen, I can't thank you enough for reuniting me with my love," Mr. Chase said as he shook my hand.

  "Amanda did everything, I followed her lead. Do you know Ryan Thorn?"

  "Are you related to Gertie Thorn?" Mr. Chase extended his hand.

  "My grandmother; she's in Las Vegas now."

  "She's a force of nature. My mother always got a kick out of her. Give her my best."

  "Thank you, I will. Congratulations on the show. It's spectacular," Ryan said.

  We moved on as Mr. Chase nodded and greeted other guests. An elegant older Hispanic woman appeared in the doorway, and the crowd quieted down.

  "Mama," Mr. Chase said as he made his way to her.

  They embraced to an outpouring of applause. He acknowledged it, and then they spoke in Spanish. I understood one word, Caitlin, and they proceeded to the music room.

  "I thought Mr. Chase's parents were dead," I whispered to Ryan.

  "His father and stepmother died a long time ago, but his mom worked as a maid in the Chase household. The elder Mr. Chase fell in love and wanted to marry her. His hard-hearted father said no, and Sofia turned up pregnant. After Everett's birth, Sofia was sent home to Argentina. After his parents died, Everett searched through some records and found his mom. She visited every summer, played bridge with Gertie and her friends, and made Jane crazy. The locals loved her for it." We stepped up to the bar set up by the fireplace.

  Ryan ordered a beer for himself and a white wine for me. Alexia Cobb and her husband, Benjamin Nance Cobb, strolled in. I never expected to see a familiar face, but Ishawa was full of surprises. Alexia and I squealed at the same time, and she hurried over to hug me.

  "Gretchen, I'm so happy to see you. Did I hear you cracked a decades-old murder case and are responsible for this show?" she asked.

  "Yeah kinda, I guess, but you had twins, opened a stellar museum, and beat up a bad guy."

  "Yeah that was me. So tell me everything you've been doing." She spied Ryan as she put her arm around my shoulder.

  I started with the layoff at the newspaper as I watched our guys introduce themselves to each other. We continued into the family room and found seats by the windows.

  "Are you planning on living here?" Alexia asked.

  I pointed across the lake at the flashing light at the end of Ryan's pier.

  "Over there."

  She smiled and showed me pictures of her children. A few people walked up and spoke to Alexia. I glanced out the window and saw a shimmer on the water. It could be ice or the moon's reflection or Amanda crashing the party. It rolled along the water, formed into a sphere, and jumped up to balance on the pier light.

  A bouncing baby ball.

  I stilled and rested my hand on my waist. Alexia tilted her head and smiled at me. I set down my untouched wineglass, excused myself, and went to find Ryan to tell him about this time next year.

  Santa would need a bigger sleigh to accommodate the boatload of gifts for an additional Thorn.

  * * * * *

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Long before DVDs, Mary Jo saw Gone with the Wind in the theater. She was ten. The story never left her. She read the book three times. She saw the movie every time it was re-released. GWTW will be seventy-five years old this year and is her favorite movie. She would only make a minor change: Leave Ashley to Melanie and hold on tight to Rhett. Her writing sprung from reading, watching, and always wanting to edit.

  Mary Jo was born in Chicago and has never strayed far from home. She majored in Accounting and received her MBA in Finance. She worked in the investment and banking businesses.

  Mary Jo is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Chicago North RWA, and Windy City RWA.

  To learn more about Mary Jo Burke, visit her online at:

  http://www.maryjoburke.com/

  BOOKS BY MARY JO BURKE

  Spicing Up Trouble

  Cupid's Busted Arrow

  Mother Nature's Man

  All Hours Trading

  HARD TO CONTROL

  (Hard Targets)

  by

  Wendy Byrne

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  "The hell you say. I should have known it was too good to be true when you rented a beach house in the Hamptons and invited us to come along." Jake plopped down on the sofa and put his feet on the ottoman. "We're supposed to be on vacation. Besides, I have big plans with Tessa for the weekend."

  "I'm helping out Jennings as a favor for his friend. They're a group of senior citizens. How much trouble can they cause? They'll probably do a lot more sleeping than anything else. Should be a piece of cake." Max could only hope his siblings went along with the program since he'd already promised Jennings.

  Sabrina sat down next to Jake. "What's with you making deals with Jennings? And news flash: you're not our boss."

  Max cringed. "One could argue that you always thought I was your boss."

  "No, that would be you who had that insane thought. We humored you just to shut you up and make you think we were listening." Jake took a sip of coffee. "I say you're in charge of the ladies. You made the deal, not us."

  Max ignored Jake and opened up a spreadsheet he'd worked on earlier, before leaving New York. He'd decided to wait to tell his siblings about the assignment until they'd arrived in the Hamptons, and the job would be done and over before they knew it. "If this was difficult, I wouldn't have volunteered for us to cover it. We were going to be here anyway. It's only for a couple of days. How hard can it be? The ladies are in their eighties. They probably do a lot of napping at that age, don't they?"

  Jake sighed and raised his hand. "I'll take the napping times."

  "And they probably go to bed around six or so, I would imagine." Max pointed to the paper on the table. "Like I said, it's only Wednesday through Friday. We'll all be free by the weekend when Kane, Tessa, and Gianna get here," he added, naming off their respective significant others.

  "Promise?" Sabrina asked. "Because I haven't seen Kane in nearly a month. This long distance relationship is
killing me."

  "Awwww!" Jake snorted.

  "Don't make me hurt you, Jake," Sabrina threatened.

  "Children." Max smiled knowing they wouldn't refuse his request. "Let's focus on the task at hand. One of the ladies owns a house down the block, and she and her two friends always have some kind of yearly get together before the season starts. For some reason, this year they've been getting death threats so we need to make sure nothing happens."

  "Seriously? If somebody owns a house here I'm sure they have money, but everybody who comes here has money. Why are they being targeted?"

  "No clue. This is the first year they've encountered threats. They all got notes warning them against getting together this year. Have no idea what this is about."

  "Do you have a sense if this is for real?" Jake asked. "What do the notes say specifically?" That was his brother—from joker to professional in sixty seconds was the usual way he rolled.

  "Here's a pic of one of the notes. They all pretty much say the same thing." Max showed them the screen on his iPad where the message popped up: Stop conspiring against us or you'll regret it. One by one you'll vanish. And then there'll be none.

  "What exactly are these ladies doing?" Sabrina examined the note and frowned. "Stealing somebody's recipes? Cheating at bridge?"

  "Whatever it is, it's not part of the information I received. Could mean they aren't saying, or they don't have a clue."

  "I'm betting they suspect something but aren't saying," Jake said.

  "They're in their eighties. What could they possibly be hiding?" Sabrina slapped her brother's arm.

  "Ouch." He gave her a cheesy smile. "I heard there's quite a competition for eligible men in their age range. Maybe they're stepping on somebody's toes."

  "Women don't need a man to feel good about themselves." Sabrina rolled her eyes.

  "Says the woman who's been whining about Kane for a couple of weeks now," Jake added.

  "That is not the point. It can't be something that simple," she snarled. "There's got to be more going on than that."

  "If we figure out the why, we should be able to figure out the 'who,' and this case will be over before it starts, and you two can stop complaining about working while you're on vacation." Max knew this case would be a hard sell, but he hadn't anticipated this much resistance from them. Normally, they'd be all over this kind of thing. He couldn't help but wonder if they had an inkling of what was going down at The Alliance—the elite security organization his siblings worked for.

  "I do have a certain way with the ladies, no matter the age, so I'm guessing I'll be the first to crack the case," Jake said, his cocky smile firmly in place.

  "Don't make me show you two boys up again." Sabrina countered with a quick smile.

  "Again? Since when?"

  She put her index finger against her lips. "Since forever, I'm pretty sure. Even when we were little, whenever we played hide and seek you two could never find me. I'm always the one to figure out the clues when the three of us work together. You two have very convenient memory issues when it comes to my successes." She gestured with her hands. "Need I go on?"

  "Please don't," Max and Jake said simultaneously.

  "Let's focus on the task at hand. I'll take the early morning hour. No doubt that's when they'll be at their chattiest. I'm good with the older crowd," Max volunteered. If he went first, his siblings would be guilted into following suit. At least he hoped so.

  "I'll cover lunch. They're probably good cooks, and I bet they make killer desserts. Hey maybe we could all go there for dinner," Jake rubbed his stomach. "They should zone out after that. I can watch the game on TV while they turn in early. Have some phone sex with Tessa."

  "Eeeuuuu. TMI, Jake." Sabrina wrinkled her nose.

  "Sorry. That's right you're saving yourself for marriage." He guffawed. "Then again you're not the marrying type."

  She held up her hand. "I'm not going to respond to your juvenile teasing."

  "Got it, Ms. High and Mighty."

  "Can we focus please?" Max gave them his in-charge face. Not that they paid any attention. This was going to get tricky. "We're in agreement then. Tomorrow morning I'll be waiting for them. I'll check in and give you both status updates. They're due to arrive at the house at seven a.m. I'll get there before then and scout out the place and check for any problems with The Alliance equipment I threw into my trunk."

  "I feel so used," Jake said.

  "Get over yourself," both he and Sabrina said in unison.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The following morning, Max got up early to run along the beach. It also gave him a chance to do a full recognizance of the home and get away from his siblings who didn't stop complaining about him taking the assignment all evening long.

  From the outside, the house looked similar to where he and his siblings were staying. Situated along the shoreline, the house had a line of trees and bushes that gave a sense of privacy but still afforded an amazing view. With little visual obstruction, it also left a lot of space vulnerable as well. He used the set of binoculars he'd brought with him to examine the exterior, zooming in on the terraces off the second floor balconies. More vulnerabilities. The security cameras along the exterior had been set up and installed as per his specifications before they'd arrived.

  As he understood it, one of the ladies was the mother of Anthony, Jennings' friend at the Department of Justice—a little detail he hadn't told his siblings. While there was an outside chance this threat was tied to Anthony, Max didn't think that was likely. If that were true, why would somebody target all three of the ladies?

  At this point, he could only hope this whole thing would be concluded quickly so he could get back to the business of rest and relaxation. Gianna and her younger brother, Mick, would be there early Friday. From what he understood, Mick was bringing his girlfriend, Gabriella, along as well. With ten bedrooms in the home he'd rented, each with its own suite, there was more than enough room. Ensuring Mick and Gabriella kept to their own bedrooms during the night would be Gianna's worry, even if he suspected she'd draw him into that duty as well. He could always say he'd installed surveillance cameras inside. Mick knew Max had mad tools at his disposal, so he might buy into the idea that he'd set up a wall of surveillance between their rooms.

  Teenagers and old people. No doubt he'd be cursing both by the end of the weekend.

  As he slipped his sunglasses back in place, he thought he spotted something or someone in one of the dormer windows of the ladies' home. But the ladies weren't due until later. He yanked the binoculars up to his eyes for a closer look.

  "Damn." Somebody was in the house.

  He thought about calling in his siblings for reinforcement but changed his mind. Until he knew what he was up against, he'd go it alone.

  As he crept up the side of the home, he strategized the best approach. He'd already studied the floor plan so knew the area in question was the maids' quarters. But as far as he knew, they hadn't hired any help for the weekend, which eliminated that as a possibility. But in case he was wrong, he didn't want to go in with guns blazing. A little recognizance would be the best way to play this. And then call in for reinforcements if necessary.

  He used the key he'd been given then plugged in the security code. The possibility of finishing up this case within the first few hours on duty made him smile. He reached the third floor landing more confident than ever.

  Sounds of a struggle emanated from down the hall. He rushed in that direction and threw open the door.

  "What the hell's going on here?" Once inside he spotted a woman sitting on the floor struggling to open a drawer. Dressed in sweats and a T-shirt, she had her back to him. He had to assume they had hired help during their short stay after all.

  Threat averted, he relaxed his stance. That's when somebody hit him from behind with…a frying pan? Then someone else pounded on his back with what felt like a rolling pin.

  As he turned and held up his hands to ward off a further att
ack, the woman who'd been rummaging through the dresser called from across the room, "I found it."

  When he turned in her direction, he spotted what looked like a miniature sized handgun which she proceeded to point at him. Another woman behind him spoke as she held the frying pan over her head. "Start talking."

  Max shook his head even while he could feel the bruises forming on his arms and shoulders. "There's been a mistake." He eased away and tried to look as non-threatening as possible.

  "You're messing with the wrong old ladies. And, yes, you've made a big mistake." A lady in a Red Sox baseball cap said.

  "No, you don't understand. I was sent here to help. You must be Annie, Gertie, and Lois, right?" He surveyed the three scowling women.

  "Just because you know our names doesn't mean we trust you," the one wearing a blue blouse spoke.

  He held up his hands. "One of your sons asked that my siblings and I ensure everything is safe for all of you at your yearly meeting."

  "Pfft." The one in sweats and a T-shirt waved her hands. "We can take care of ourselves. I don't know why anyone would think we couldn't."

  "Maybe because that gun you're pointing at me is about as lethal as a slingshot," Max said.

  The woman with the gun waved it in his direction. "Don't tempt me young man."

  "Hey, I'm just reinforcing the point that you might be in over your heads. Clearly somebody thought it would be a good idea to make sure you were protected."

  The women in the baseball cap scowled. "Who in tarnation would think we need help protecting ourselves?"

  The tallest of the bunch spoke up. "Anthony went snooping again and found the note. You know how overprotective he is." She tsked.

  The other two moaned in unison, but the one in the T-shirt spoke. "Now you've done it. How are we going to have any fun if we have a babysitter the whole time we're here? We've got things to do, and we don't want any interference in our plans. And you look like you'd be pain in the neck, even if you are cute."