Murder is a Beach (Maggie, PI Mysteries)

by Pressey, Rose

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Text copyright © 2013 Rose Pressey

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Thomas & Mercer, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Thomas & Mercer are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781477819913

  ISBN-10: 1477819916

  Cover design by Inkd

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2013920363

  This is to you and you know who you are.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  A crime was the last thing I’d expected to witness while relaxing on the beach, but that was exactly what had just happened.

  Being a private eye had always seemed like a thrilling career choice. Now that my dream had become a reality, I was having second thoughts on whether the excitement was such a good thing after all. Things had gone from mundane and boring to chaotic in a nanosecond.

  When my uncle Griffin Thomas had passed, I’d taken over his private investigation agency. As exciting as it had seemed initially, it would be a miracle if I could keep the business going. Not only did he not use a computer, he had an assistant who was now my assistant, Dorothy Raye. She carried her knitting needles and crossword puzzle books with her everywhere she went, not to mention she had a strange obsession with peppermint candies.

  It hadn’t taken much to persuade me to get my concealed carry permit and private investigator license, pack my bags and head south. Being fired from my telemarketer job had made the decision quite easy actually. After losing that job I couldn’t be too picky, so I’d jumped at the chance to take over the agency. I’d hated that job selling burial plots anyway. I’d studied criminal justice in college until I’d changed my major to fashion.

  Uncle Griffin’s investigations had focused on catching a cheating spouse or finding long lost relatives. I’d grown up on the other side of Florida in the Panhandle. After tossing my clothing into my Ford, I’d headed south to Miami Beach to make a new start. I’d added highlights to my dark hair and even bought a sexy red dress just in case I ever got the chance to enjoy the night life. So far it didn’t look as if that would happen. My wardrobe mostly consisted of shorts and T–shirts, so it had been a daring venture for me to buy the dress.

  It had been quite some time since I’d had a date, but I hadn’t given up on the idea entirely. The red dress had definitely been an impulse buy. Dorothy wanted me to go out with Jake, but I wasn’t so sure that would be a good idea. Our personalities seemed to mix like oil and water.

  Based on my past relationship, I should have just given up. After I’d dated someone for over a year, he’d broken up with me for someone else. He’d tried some lame excuse, but in reality he was just a dirtbag. In hindsight I was glad that he’d called it off.

  Moving to Miami hadn’t been as easy as I’d thought. It had taken a while to find an affordable place to live. I’d finally rented a tiny studio apartment. The best amenity was that it had running water and air conditioning that worked over fifty percent of the time. Luckily, it was just a short drive to my office and a couple blocks from the beach.

  After finding a tiny apartment that near the beach and not far from my new office, I was ready for my new adventure. Little had I known that I’d get my first case on my first day as a private eye. I’d been even more shocked when my client had been murdered. Jake Jackson had been equally shocked when I solved the murder. I’d planned on taking it easy for at least a day after I’d wrapped up that case, but now it looked as if my mind would be occupied with thoughts of this mysterious woman.

  My fun day at the beach had turned into witnessing a potentially serious crime. The smell of salt air mixed with coconut-scented sun lotion had surrounded me as I’d relaxed on the beach with a tantalizing book. I’d been soaking up the warm sunshine when I’d spotted the woman on the boat off in the distance with the aid of my binoculars. A brute of a man had been dragging her across the deck, then they’d disappeared below.

  I’d been looking through my binoculars when I noticed the boat moving along the coastline. Detective Jake Jackson had just walked up when I’d spotted the woman on the boat. Jake was easy on the eyes, as Dorothy said. He had thick dark hair, compelling blue eyes and classically handsome features. However, I pushed his fine physical attributes to the back of my mind.

  Jake had entered my life when I’d discovered my first client murdered. After that it seemed like he popped up almost everywhere I went. He was convinced that either I would accidentally be killed, or I’d accidentally kill someone else. Actually he probably figured on both of those scenarios playing out. As far as he was concerned, my investigative skills were seriously lacking.

  My assistant Dorothy was certain that I had been trying to check out hot guys at the beach, but that was her hobby, not mine. Not that I hadn’t glanced a few times. It was hard to resist when the men were out there without shirts, flexing their muscles right in front of me.

  Jake had called for backup officers and then the Coast Guard had been called right away. After hours of searching, no boat matching the description that I’d provided had been found. Now I looked like a complete lunatic.

  “There’s nothing else we can do,” Jake said, running his hand through his dark hair. His tall, athletic physique gave him an air of confidence.

  “I know what I saw,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

  “We’ll just have to hope that if the woman was really in danger she gets help.”

  It wasn’t a question of if she was in trouble—it was a question of how much trouble she was in. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get her off
my mind. Seeing something like that was disturbing. And it was even worse that I couldn’t help her. But Jake Jackson was right…there was nothing I could do to help her, so I had to let it go.

  “It’s been a long day. Why don’t you get some rest?” Jake’s grin flashed briefly, dazzling against his olive skin.

  I glanced over at Dorothy. She pretended not to listen to our conversation as she sat under a bright red umbrella feverishly moving her knitting needles and taking in all the police action. She had been knitting the whole time while she watched the good-looking detectives.

  The law enforcement officials had gathered in a nearby parking lot after Jake had called, but now Jake and I had returned to the beach. Thank goodness I’d had a cover-up for my red polka dot bikini because it would have been even harder for law enforcement to take me seriously as a private eye if I was half-naked.

  Steady waves rhythmically hit the shore as I stared out at the spot where I’d seen the boat. The other detectives were all leaving and it was just the three of us now. Even the people on the beach were clearing out as the sun had already set and darkness was just minutes away.

  Jake was now staring at me, waiting for a response.

  I nodded. “Yeah, I guess I should get some sleep.”

  Dorothy stuffed her knitting needles into her bag. “I’m out of here. I hope you don’t cause any more search parties while you’re at dinner.” She laughed and walked away toward her Cadillac.

  “Do you need a ride home?” Jake quirked his brow questioningly.

  “I can drive,” I said, motioning toward my car.

  Jake flashed a smile as I climbed into my Ford. I’d been in his police car more than once, but luckily I’d never been taken to jail. Well, other than to report the bullets whizzing past my head.

  Chapter Two

  The next day I’d taken off to grab dinner for Dorothy and me. After weaving through traffic and following her directions, I pulled up to the parking lot of the Captain’s Quarters. The place looked like an abandoned building with weather-beaten shutters and aged wood façade. Palms trees surrounded the back of the building and the front overlooked the water. The parking lot was mostly full and I had to circle a couple times before I found a spot. Since it seemed so crowded I assumed the food was good.

  I opened the door and stepped into the air-conditioned space. The cool air felt good against my hot skin. The space was decorated with all things nautical. Fish were mounted on the walls and they seemed to follow my every move with their eyes.

  Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the back of the restaurant, overlooking the water. An outside deck surrounded the restaurant and there was also a dock for boats to pull up and enjoy the food. Of course looking out at the boats didn’t help to make me forget about what had happened the day before. I was still shaken by what I’d seen and wasn’t sure if I would be able to eat much of my dinner.

  After checking out the menu, I placed my order for two fish sandwiches, coleslaw, and Diet Cokes and then headed over to the bar to wait. Just as I approached I spotted a familiar face. I thought about backing up before Jake noticed me, but it was too late. He turned around and our eyes met. He grinned, then turned around on the stool for a better view of me. I hurried over to the stool and sat down. Jake moved over a couple stools closer to me, but didn’t speak. Figuring this Jake Jackson out was no easy task. Sure, I’d done a little online search of him. I’d peeked at his Facebook page and saw that his relationship status was single. After that, I’d quickly closed the page. I didn’t want to be considered a Facebook stalker.

  “Can I get you something?” the bartender asked.

  “I’ll have water, thanks,” I said, not glancing over at Jake.

  Once the bartender walked away, I watched Jake out of the corner of my eye.

  He took a sip of his bourbon, then said, “All you’re going to drink is water?”

  “It’s a little early to drink.” I glanced down at his glass and then at him, studying the clear-cut lines of his profile.

  He took another sip, then said, “It looks like you’re following me now.” The corners of his mouth tilted up.

  “Something on your mind?” I asked.

  He looked straight ahead. “Nope.”

  I turned around and looked past the crowded restaurant onto the back deck. I froze when I spotted it—a white boat with blue letters on the side. The last word written on the back was Vita. I’d spotted that with my binoculars yesterday. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the boat.

  “That’s it,” I said, pointing at the boat.

  Jake set his drink down and focused his attention on the location I’d pointed at. “That’s what?”

  “It’s the boat where I saw the woman.” My voice had reached panic mode.

  I knew by the look on his face that he didn’t believe me, but that was his problem because I was more confident than ever.

  I set my water on the counter and jumped up. “Come on. We have to see if she’s there.”

  Jake hurried after me as I ran out to the deck. I didn’t even notice if people were watching me. Of course I was sure they wondered what the heck I was doing. I marched toward the boat on a mission.

  Jake grabbed my arm and I stopped. “Don’t do anything crazy, Maggie. Let me talk with them.”

  I sucked in a deep breath, then said, “Fine. But you’ll have to check the boat.”

  “I can’t do that without a search warrant,” he said with compassion in his voice.

  “Well, I guess you’ll have to get one.” I tossed my arms up.

  “Did you ever happen to think that maybe you imagined what you saw? Maybe they were just playing around.” Jake studied my face.

  I furrowed my brow. “I think I know the difference between just playing around and a woman being attacked.”

  “I didn’t say that you don’t know the difference, but you have to admit you were far away. Not to mention you were viewing the scene through binoculars.” We exchanged a long look.

  What Jake said about how I’d witnessed the crime was obviously true, but I was confident in what I’d seen. I wasn’t changing my mind and I wouldn’t falter.

  I followed Jake over to the boat. No one was standing around and it looked as if no one was on the boat.

  “Maybe they went inside to eat,” I said, looking over my shoulder at the crowded restaurant. The deck buzzed with activity. People sat at tables chatting and eating their lobster while the servers moved about with trays of food and drinks.

  A waiter walked past and Jake stepped out in front of him. “Did you see anyone get off this boat?” Jake asked, flashing his badge.

  The waiter’s eyes widened as he looked at the badge and then at Jake. He shook his head. “No, I just stepped out here.”

  Jake nodded and the waiter hurried away as if he didn’t want to be handcuffed.

  “Why don’t you wait here and I’ll check out the boat to see if anyone is on there,” Jake said.

  I nodded, but I knew that as soon as Jake was on that boat I’d probably follow him. I couldn’t let him handle this alone. Yeah, as if he needed my help to handle anything. In reality I just wanted to know what was going on and I didn’t want the information second-hand after the fact.

  I tried to control myself and wait for Jake to return, but after a minute, I gave up on waiting and climbed onto the gently moving boat. I tried to calm my nerves as I looked around. It was eerie knowing that I was in the exact spot where the woman had been.

  Jake had just stepped onto the main area of the boat when a man popped around from the back. His thick chestnut-colored hair reached to his mile-wide shoulders. He was a solid man and looked as if he could snap someone like a twig if they provoked him. Obviously, he’d been on the boat the whole time. He must have heard us climb aboard. My stomach sank. I knew this was the man I’d seen on the boat yesterday. He scowled and stared at Jake and then at me. Jake was in front of me and didn’t know that I was behind him.

  �
�Who the hell are you?” the man asked with a scowl.

  Jake flashed his badge again. “I’m Detective Jake Jackson with the Dade County Police.”

  The man glared at Jake, then asked, “Who is she?”

  Jake whipped around. He quirked a brow when he saw me, then said, “She’s with me.”

  “What do you want?” the man asked.

  This was a tricky situation. Would Jake tell him that I’d seen a woman with my binoculars? It sounded kind of crazy now that I thought about it, but it was the truth.

  “We have reason to believe that a woman may have been injured on this boat,” Jake said.

  I suppose that was a legitimate statement. Not the full story, but it was probably all that Jake wanted to tell this man. I looked at the man to gauge his reaction.

  He frowned and then shook his head. “I’m the only one on the boat.”

  “Was someone else on here with you earlier?” I asked, not giving Jake a chance to question the man.

  He looked away and then said, “No, it’s just me.”

  I knew he was lying, but how would I be able to prove it?

  “Do you mind if I look around?” Jake asked.

  The man stared for a moment, then finally nodded. “Yeah, sure, take a look, but like I said, I’m the only one on the boat.”

  Nothing seemed out of place on the boat. But if there had been a struggle, he’d probably cleaned it up by now. There was white leather seating at the back and a couple more seats behind the front wheel.

  Jake nodded and moved toward the door that led below deck. I rushed over to follow him.

  He turned to me and said, “Stay up here and keep an eye on that guy, okay?”

  I wasn’t sure if Jake was just saying that to keep me from snooping down there with him or if he really thought the guy would take off. But did Jake really trust me alone with this guy? I mean, he’d obviously done something to the woman. Of course, I had a gun and I wasn’t afraid to use the thing to defend myself against a murderer.

  I waited by the door for Jake and kept my eyes on the man the whole time. The sun was going down, but the lights from the restaurant illuminated the entire area, so I had a good view of his face. By his glaring, I knew he wasn’t happy that we were there. “Do you always search people’s property at random?” he asked.