Snatched
Page 9
Music was playing in the background, and there was a stage set up for a band that would play later. As people walked in, they were met by staff with trays laden with glasses of champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
“I have to give it to you, Charlene. Everything looks amazing,” said Neil Johnson, the chairperson of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
She smiled. “Thanks. I’m glad all that hard work paid off. Now, let’s hope it pays off a little more literally in donations.”
“I’m sure it will. Who can say no to helping sick kids?”
Charlene laughed. “Well, even if they could, they won’t because they all want the good publicity that comes from donating to a cause like ours.”
“I’d accuse you of being cynical if you weren’t completely correct,” he said with a laugh. “Now, let’s get out there and rustle up some money for the hospital.”
Charlene nodded and they went their separate ways.
A few hours later, after the four-course dinner had ended, the band started to play and several of the attendees made their way to the dance floor. Charlene picked up her glass and took a sip of champagne. She leaned in to her neighbor, who was trying to tell her something. Suddenly, she felt groggy. It was almost imperceptible and at first, she didn’t realize anything was wrong. But something wasn’t quite right. She could feel it. She put her hand up to her throat and froze. Her diamond necklace was gone…the diamond necklace she had been lent by a prominent jeweler and committed to wear in return for a hefty donation to the hospital.
Her heart began to pound. Exclamations of surprise sounded throughout the ballroom. It was like an echo that, instead of getting fainter, built up momentum as one person after another cried out in astonishment and indignation. The music petered out. Charlene looked around, her palms sweaty, her breathing picking up speed.
“My jewelry! It’s all gone!” exclaimed one woman.
“My cash, too!” said a man. The same sentiment was repeated by one guest after another after another.
“We’ve been robbed!”
“But how? When?” cried a woman.
Charlene couldn’t believe it. They had been robbed. But the woman was right. How? When?
“Someone call the police!” shouted a man with the face of an angry pit bull. He was so red, Charlene was afraid he would pass out.
When the operator answered her 911 call, she explained that all the attendees at the Annual Crystal Ball had been robbed. How many robbers? She had no clue. Had it been a stick up? No, there had been no gunmen. Pickpockets? Maybe. She just didn’t know.
“I have three hundred guests missing all the jewelry, money, and other valuables they came into this ballroom with three hours ago. I don’t know how it happened, when it happened, or who did it. Please send someone.” She was trembling, and her voice had gone up several octaves. She had never felt so violated in her entire life. It wasn’t just that she had been robbed. It was that someone had got their hands on everyone’s valuables without anyone noticing a thing.
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THANK YOU
Thank you for taking the time to read Snatched. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and very much appreciated.
Thank you,
OTHER BOOKS IN THE DIANA HUNTER SERIES
Hunted (Prequel)
Stolen
Chopped
Exposed
ALSO BY ALISON GOLDEN
FEATURING REVEREND ANNABELLE DIXON
Death at the Café (Prequel)
Murder at the Mansion
Body in the Woods
Grave in the Garage
Horror in the Highlands
FEATURING INSPECTOR DAVID GRAHAM
The Case of the Screaming Beauty (Prequel)
The Case of the Hidden Flame
The Case of the Fallen Hero
The Case of the Broken Doll
The Case of the Missing Letter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alison Golden was born and raised in Bedfordshire, England. She writes cozy mysteries and suspense novels, along with the occasional witty blog post, all of which are designed to entertain, amuse, and calm. Her approach is to combine creative ideas with excellent writing and edit, edit, edit.
She is the creator of the Reverend Annabelle Dixon cozy mysteries, a charming, fun series featuring a female vicar ministering in the beautiful county of Cornwall, England. She also produces a Jersey-based detective series featuring Inspector David Graham and the Diana Hunter series, set in Vancouver.
Her books’ themes range from the humorous and sweet to harder hitting suspense. They are recommended for readers who like to relax and unwind with their books, who enjoy getting to know the characters, and who prefer the tougher side of life implied.
She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and twin sons. She splits her time traveling between London and San Francisco.
For up-to-date promotions and release dates of upcoming books, sign up for the latest news here: http://cozymysteries.com/diana.
For more information:
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alison@cozymysteries.com
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“A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.”
Neil Gaiman
SNATCHED
A Diana Hunter Mystery
What would you do if you discovered a dead body? Would you investigate? Try to solve the case before the police arrive?
Would you prattle on about theories regarding the murder, realizing you know almost too much about it? Would you put the handsome detective off balance so that he then accuses you of being the murderer? All before 9 AM? No… surely no one would do that? Clearly, you haven’t met Diana Hunter.
When embarking on an early morning run, Diana notices a man sitting on the ground reading a book. When she returns, she finds he hasn’t moved a muscle since she left her house. She checks him over and discovers that he is stone cold. Once the emergency services arrive, all equipped with a very good-looking, but pompous detective, Peter Hopkinson, she has to continually prove to the detective why she is not the killer while trying to solve the murder herself.
Will Diana find the murderer before the detective does, or will they both discover that something a lot more sinister is going on at Royal Bay Beach?
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright © 2016 Alison Golden
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, 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 Mesa Verde Publishing
P.O. Box 1002
San Carlos, CA 94070
Edited by
Marjorie Kramer