Hang Ten Australian Cozy Mystery Boxed Set

by Stacey Alabaster

  Wells’s house.

  And he probably burned down Nicole Marie’s house as well. To stop anyone else getting that manuscript.

  I tried to call again. “Claire isn’t answering her phone.” I looked at Maria pleadingly. “You have a car, right? I think I know where she might be.”

  I ended up driving because Maria’s night vision was not what it used to me. But she was talking to me in worried tones from the passenger seat. “There were these strange gloves found in my house. In one of the desks in the classroom.”

  I gripped the wheel and checked the rearview mirror. “Yeah, and I have a feeling I know where that idea might have come from,” I said. Darn. If only I had read Claire’s book. Maybe reading wasn’t such a waste of time after all. It had only taken me this long to realize it. I made a vow that I was going to take my studies seriously from that point forward. It just might save a life.

  It had taken a call to Sadie, but Maria had gotten the address of the cottage. I banged on the door and yelled Claire’s name. “Maria, she could be tied up in there or worse!” I yelled, sure that she was not going to answer the door.

  But she pulled it open one second later with a frown on her face. “What are you doing here, Alyson?”

  I stood back, stunned. “You’re all in one piece.”

  “Of course I am. Um. What were you expecting?” She saw I had Maria with me and gave her a full-on dirty glare before snubbing her.

  The words spilled out of me. “Claire! Simon DID want to buy and publish Nicole Marie’s manuscript, but she didn’t want him to have it! She was going to go with another publisher! Claire. He killed Nicole Marie. And then he gave the idea to you to have the cop do it. Because he wanted it to be believable when he framed Wells in real life.”

  Claire’s eyes went wide. “But I already emailed him the finished copy… I just finished it ten minutes ago.” Her face fell. “Oh gosh. Alyson. In the email, I said that if he didn’t want to publish it was no big deal, because I’d gotten another offer…”

  Maria and I looked at each other. Maybe it wasn’t her life that was in danger. Maybe it was just her book. “Well, that’s not so bad,” I said when I realized what was happening. Clearly, I had said the wrong thing, yet again.

  Claire was outraged. “You don’t understand, Alyson. He could steal my manuscript! We have to go after him!”

  There was a car door slamming out front and we all jumped. Simon.

  “Quick, hide,” Claire said.

  “What, why?”

  “Trust me.”

  Maria and I ducked behind the couch while I made the call to Wells. I mean, I called the police station and of course he was the one who picked up. Great. Of course. I quickly put the phone away as Simon walked in.

  “I know what you did, Simon.” Claire’s voice was low. “And you’re not getting my book. Not in life, and not after death.”

  I peered out from behind the sofa. “Oh my gosh, he’s got a rope!” I squealed while Maria put her hand over my mouth. “Well, we can’t just crouch down here and do nothing!”

  But it was Maria who leapt out and hit him over the head…with a very large book. I jumped up and we all stared down at Simon while Marie, with a pleading look in her eyes, said, “Does this mean we are all square, Claire? Can I come back to work at the bookshop?”

  I tried not to laugh while Claire just stared at her. Princess took a long time to forgive and forget. Even if you saved her life.

  “Bring me my books back and I’ll think about it.”

  I sidled up to Wells, all smug, while he was putting Simon in the car.

  “So, I guess we’re both innocent,” I said to him, raising an eyebrow.

  He sighed warily. “How do you figure that?”

  “Well, you’re not a murderer and I’m not an arsonist.” I nodded towards the car. “Clearly, Simon burned down the house to get rid of the manuscript.”

  “Actually, you’re wrong about that,” he said, putting a pen back into his top pocket. “We’re looking at another suspect. Two, actually.”

  “Can you tell me who?” I asked incredulously.

  He just shook his head. “It should be good news to you, Alyson, that you’re not the only one on the hook for this.”

  My stomach dropped. “So my charges aren’t being dropped?” I stared at him. What was wrong with this guy?

  “I’ll keep you informed, Miss Foulkes.”

  Well. That was a bittersweet victory.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Matt. He’d come up to check that Claire was all right, but he seemed more concerned about me in that moment.

  “There’s something I need to tell you, Alyson. About Claire.”

  I shook my head. “Oh no,” I said, “No more bad news.”

  And I meant it. Not on that day.

  Instead, I found my best friend and gave her the biggest hug I could. The clouds had all cleared and there was sun over Eden Bay again. Pure blue skies. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go for a surf.”

  Epilogue

  Claire

  Two Weeks Later

  This was a very special meeting of the book club. And a certain someone had a fourth chance. There was a new rule. A rule that applied to best friends only, mind you.

  But Alyson was late.

  When she finally walked through the door of the bookshop with a nervous look on her face, I expected some story, some excuse for why she hadn’t been able to read the book, or finish it, or better yet, maybe just some blatant attempt at guessing at the plot to pretend that she had when she hadn’t.

  “It was amazing, Claire.” She grinned at me. “And to think it was the editor all along.”

  But I had to check. “And what do you think about the ending? I mean, the other part…”

  I waited. This was the true test.

  She nodded. “Hmm. About whether the best friend was going to go to trial for arson? I suppose that will be addressed in the next book.”

  I reached out to hug her. She really had read it.

  “Congrats, Princess. You deserve to get this book published.”

  I was thrilled. For once—finally, after so many months—I felt like I could breathe again. The shop was back open and in good business, with all the books back. And my book was about to be published. And best of all, Alyson and I were on the best terms we had ever been on. I clinked my champagne glass against Sadie’s and she grinned at me. “Here’s to you, Claire,” she said. We both sipped our drinks and smiled.

  And even better, Matt was here.

  I frowned when he didn’t come up to me. Oh well, I thought, and shook it off. He was just talking to his sister first. Fair enough.

  Alyson seemed to go very still. She stopped what she was doing and spun around to stare at me, her face full of questions.

  My stomach dropped like I had gone over the side of a rollercoaster. Matt had said something to her.

  About me. About him and me.

  And I had no idea how this was all going to pan out.

  Homicide on the Hunt

  Hang Ten Australian Cozy Mystery, Book 6

  1

  Alyson

  Was it a predator approaching me, or a friend? I shielded my eyes. Six-foot-three. Gray looking. Not just the clothes, but the hair was going that way too. Maybe this shark had learned to walk on water. Nearby, a starter pistol went off. That was just for practice, though. Troy barely blinked. Was he that used to it? In Australia, especially on the beach, you had to be able to tell the difference between a creature that was friendly and one that would kill you. I hadn’t always been so good at it. But I was getting better.

  Troy grinned at me and I grinned back. Oh, what did I care anyway. This was the best day, hands down, on the Eden Bay calendar, and nothing was going to kill my vibe.

  The Eden Bay Treasure hunt.

  Each year, we started this way, on the beach, and it would be twenty-four hours of relentless searching, adventure, and chaos before we would end
up on the beach again in the same spot where we started, and a winner would be announced.

  That winner would be me. And I was already preparing my winner’s acceptance speech. Who would I thank? Mostly just myself of course. I’d put in all the work.

  Of course, wondering if you’re going to have to go to jail soon can kind of put a damper on things. “Should enjoy the fresh air and freedom to run around while I can,” I said wryly.

  “Don’t worry about that now,” Troy said as he produced two items from the inside of his jacket pocket. “You’ve been looking forward to this day all year.”

  I peered down at the items. Did he… Hang on, what were these hats for?

  “Well, it’s two-person teams, right?” Troy asked. “Or did I read the rulebook wrong?”

  No, he had read the rulebook right. Teams of two.

  I’d just always assumed that my team of two would be me and my best friend Claire.

  I stared down at the hats, which where red with yellow writing on them saying “T & Y.” It was kinda cute. If you’re wondering about the Y, it’s because my name is spelled Alyson with a Y and I am very firm about that. People like my brother Matt, and my niece J (short for Jasmine) call me Y, but Troy had never called me that before. I was just a teensy bit hesitant to take the hat.

  He sighed. “I thought you’d be over this whole not wanting to be seen in public with me thing by now.”

  “It’s not that,” I hastened to tell him. Even though that was a teeny tiny factor. I still didn’t particularly want to be seen out and about with the man I had proclaimed ‘my absolute worst enemy in the world’ just a few months earlier. I took a hat and stared down at it. “I just thought Claire and I would be a team.”

  “And are you even talking to Claire at the moment?”

  “No.”

  “Well, it’s going to be pretty hard to compete in a treasure hunt with her, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe we could just communicate telepathically.”

  Fine, I got the point. I needed a partner, so I was gonna have to take what I could get. Claire always thought these town events were hokey and lame. She wouldn’t even be taking part anyway. It would have been painful trying to talk her into it, and don’t even get me started on what a hassle it would have been, making her trade her heels for hiking boots.

  Right. Sign-up time.

  “Oi!” I said as an elbow hit me in the side. We hadn’t even started yet and people were jostling for prime position. This was how us Eden Bay-ers got during the treasure hunt. Ruthless. Winner takes all. I pulled Troy with me as we pushed to the front so that we were pressed against the ribbon. “This will be your last chance to rest for a full day,” I warned him as the mayor took to the stage to kick off the race. Ow. Another elbow in the side and a stomped foot.

  This was going to be dangerous. I was already wondering whether I should have worn protective clothing…and that was before the bombshell of the prize money was dropped on us. Then I KNEW I should have worn armor.

  The Mayor of Eden Bay tapped the microphone nervously and warmly welcomed us all to the event. He was a chubby man in his mid-forties who always looked a little nervous. We were pretty tight, the mayor and I. I’d helped him with the event. But that’s just me, though—friends in high places, you see.

  “And I hope that with this time-honored tradition, we can put the events of the past six months behind us and start over…” Mayor Strang paused. There was cheering from the crowd, and he looked pleased with himself for rousing such town spirit. Well, I could have done that. He should let me make the speech next time.

  “And to make the competition even more exciting this year…” He continued, pausing for dramatic effect. I noticed he kept doing that. “The new prize money for the winning team is five thousand dollars!”

  “Five thousand dollars?” I gasped. My heart was thudding at the sound of such a big sum. Of course, to Mr. Money Bags, Troy Emerald, this was nothing. He just kinda shrugged a little and looked unimpressed.

  “Hey, if we win it, it’s all yours, kid.”

  I tried to argue, half-heartedly, for just a moment.

  Wow. I would finally be able to turn my surfboard business into an actual stall, with a cart and everything. I mean, the fact I even wanted to do so was a secret from everyone. Kind of like, well, if no one knew I really wanted to, then I couldn’t fail. I would need at least five thousand dollars for my plan.

  I was grinning. But the grin was quickly wiped off my face. Someone with very race-inappropriate shoes on had just stepped onto the beach.

  What? What was Claire doing here?

  “What does Claire need the money for?” I whispered angrily to Troy. “She is just about as rich as you!”

  He just shot me an amused look. Look. Well, sure. Troy ran a multi-billion-dollar construction company and Claire ran a bookshop. Still. She always looked down her nose at everyone like she was queen of the manor. And I KNEW she didn’t need the money as much as I did.

  She was only here to spite me.

  This wasn’t fair.

  2

  Claire

  It was the morning of the race, and I was enjoying the fact that most of the town and the cafes were empty. I could enjoy my space in Captain Eightball’s and just have my latte in peace. Except that Alyson’s brother Matt was trying to talk me into taking part and he was almost—ALMOST—making it sound appealing. “It’s just that I’m not sure this is such a good idea….” I was cautious about anything that required running about town, or digging, or having to wear any shoes lower than a three-inch heel. I hadn’t competed in the Annual Eden Bay Treasure Hunt since I was a teenager and back then, I was far more of a tomboy than I was now.

  Matt grinned at me like he knew a secret I didn’t. “The cash prize is five thousand dollars.”

  “Woah.” I was taken aback. I’d thought first prize would have been a fifty-dollar voucher for the local hardware store. “Who’s footing the bill for that?”

  Matt had to quickly grab a caramel thick shake for a waiting customer, but he turned back to me as soon as he could, keen to tell me with a raised eyebrow.

  “The town.” Apparently, Matt was the only one who knew. Mayor Strang had visited Captain Eightball’s for a steak the previous night. Matt had been his server and overhead a conversation. “Until I knew that, I wasn’t even that keen myself to enter. But I thought it might persuade you,” he said with a shrug. “Could be fun.”

  Apparently, the prize money was an effort to raise town morale, and to entice even the most reluctant residents to enter. It was a little bit tempting. A little. And so was Matt, leaning forward in his white shirt that peeped open at the top.

  “I thought you’d want Kate to be your partner,” I said, staring down at the counter. I had to take my eyes away before I was completely suckered in.

  He laughed. “Why do you think that?”

  Ugh. He was going to make me say it? Kate was the tall, leggy brunette who’d been hanging around Eden Bay—and Matt—for the past few weeks. Oh, and she just happened to be his ex. Not that I was jealous. Except that I totally was.

  “Nah, Kate’s gone over to Rushcutter’s to surf for a bit.” He gave me a meaningful look that made my legs go a little weak. “Besides, I’d much rather do the hunt with you.”

  Five thousand dollars and the chance to hang out with Matt for a full night. It was sounding more and more tempting.

  I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter,” I said, taking hold of my senses. “Treasure hunts are really not my thing.”

  But the real reason was the fact that I knew Alyson would be there. And I couldn’t stand to do it without her. I made up an excuse about having to go back to the bookstore to check if I’d left my purse there and eventually ended up actually walking down that way in case Matt checked.

  Oh. Great. Nowhere to run.

  Dawn Petts-Jones was waiting out front for me to open the shop. “We’re not open, Dawn. Left my purse here.” Didn’t m
atter—she wasn’t a customer. She was my solicitor. And from the stern look on her face and the pile of papers she was clutching, it wasn’t good news that she had come to tell me about.

  “I have been trying to track you down for over a month, Claire,” she said in her best ticked-off voice. Hmm, perhaps I could just claim that I hadn’t actually seen any of her dozens of messages and missed calls. Could I claim I had a new phone number? And a different email address to the one she had sent tens of emails to?

  I flipped on the coffee machine and inhaled the scent of the shop. Might as well enjoy it now I was here. It smelled decidedly less of old musty books these days, and more like crisp new paper. Much more my smells. It always made me happy.

  It only took a couple of minutes for the machine to heat up. But Dawn used that time to launch into a guilt trip over the fact that I had been ignoring her. How very rude it was. And didn’t I want to know what she had to tell me?

  Not really, no.

  I kept my voice light and airy. “I’ve been really busy, Dawn. Can I offer you an espresso?”

  She glanced down skeptically at the machine, though she did accept the cute little white cup. “Do you have a license for this?” That was Dawn for you. Always thinking about the law.

  “Don’t need one if they are free,” I said, grinning. I’d figured out a way to serve coffee to customers thanks to a loophole. On the other hand, I’d also discovered a way to lose money by giving coffee away for free.

  She took a skeptical little sip but then gasped in delight. “Oh, this is actually really lovely.”

  “Yes, I only buy and give away the best.” I tried to laugh it off and not think about the fact that my savings account was going to be overdrawn in the morning.