Hot Off the Press (A Hailey Webb Mystery, Volume 1)

by Deany Ray

  ***

  Let’s Beef Frank stood in the center of Palm Shores Park. The sprawling city was one massive circle, echoing out from the central hub of this large, tree-lined park, surrounded by walls of skyscrapers and towering structures. It was one of those planned cities, built with a fast-paced lifestyle and modern sensibilities in mind. I liked it far better than the older, unplanned cities with tiny, one-way streets and no parking.

  Palm Shores Park was probably the best part of the city; it was a bright, green space filled with food carts, growing things, and enough foliage to make you forget that you lived in the middle of a busy city. My BFF and I had fallen in love with most of the food carts, but Let’s Beef Frank was by far our favorite.

  I arrived on time, but Kat was about ten minutes late as per usual. Kat (Katherine) Rexwinkle was tall, thin, and perfectly put together. I’d never seen anyone eat like she could and still maintain a nearly perfect body. Her pretty face was framed by long, dark hair. Her brilliant green eyes seemed to see down into the soul of things, and her short skirt and perfect smile drew the looks of all of the men within a one-mile radius.

  Kat waved, expertly holding seven leashes in her other hand. The dogs panted happily and mindlessly, not a single one of them pulling or misbehaving. Kat had a knack for being so good with animals it was scary. If she weren’t so empathetic, she’d be the perfect veterinarian. Seeing too many pets in pain might just do her in. Not that Kat was really suited to any job; she was just too flighty. While I had been spending my twenties exploring a career, Kat had found her “big girl” job too restrictive. She’d left Griffingate Publishing House nearly five years before, finding her joy instead in trying as many new jobs as she could in the intervening years. She’d been a massage therapist, a groomer, a retail worker, and a server at literally every single coffee shop and café in the area.

  These days, she was super happy as a barista, dog walker, and jack-of-all-trades. I couldn’t understand her lack of desire for stability, but she was happy, and that was all that mattered to me.

  “Hey there, working girl!” Kat called, waving like she was trying to dislocate her shoulder. “Congrats on the new job! Hot dogs are on me, unless you want more than three of them.”

  I laughed. “Let’s get this hot-dog party started.”

  I ordered two hot dogs with just ketchup, and Kat got an everything hot dog for herself and seven plain dogs without buns for the pups. They hovered around her feet, looking super excited to be part of our celebratory dinner. We walked over to a stone wall where we could sit down with our plates and drinks.

  One of the smaller dogs, a Jack Russell mix, came to rub on my leg and eye my hot dog once she was finished with hers. I gave in to her sad puppy eyes and slipped her a bite, gaining the attention of the rest of the dogs.

  “You shouldn’t feed the moochers; now they’ll never leave you alone,” Kat said with a laugh, taking a big bite of her hot dog. “You’ll get dog hair all over that fancy outfit of yours.”

  I took another bite of my own hot dog, watching in horror as a drop of ketchup landed on my blouse, blending in with that morning’s jelly stain. I glared at the mess, wondering if I’d be able to make the shirt wearable again. Apparently, this kind of blouse would not be needed for my wardrobe at the paper, but I didn’t have a lot extra when it came to money. I had to make things last.

  “Don’t be mad; you look so good in red.” Kat winked at me as I sighed, dabbing at the blob of red goop with a napkin. “A little bleach will get that right out,” she continued. After a second, she set down her hot dog, looking at me a little too intently. Almost as intently as the dogs were eyeing her hot dog. “I’m really proud of you, Hailey.”

  I frowned. “Don’t look so serious, Kat.”

  “No, I am serious.” Her gaze grew more intense. “I know a lot of people who would have dried up and blown away at all of the nonsense you’ve had to put up with over these last months. But you’re rebuilding, and I’m really proud of you.”

  I could feel the slight burn of tears pushing at the corners of my eyes. Come on, Hailey, don’t cry. “Thanks,” I said after a second. “It’s a bit of an adjustment.”

  “Connor didn’t deserve you anyway. He was a self-centered jackass. Now you get to live a little. New job, new place, new life.” Ripping up another naked hot dog, she handed pieces out to the dogs, who were all sitting quietly at our feet. “Maybe even a new guy,” she said under her breath.

  “I don’t need a new guy, Kat. If Connor taught me anything, it’s that I don’t need anyone at all but me.” I frowned again, running my hands over the ears of one of the larger mixed-breed dogs. His ears were soft and fluffy, and he panted happily at me.

  “You don’t have to marry the next guy you see; just find someone to . . . you know . . .”

  I held up a hand. “No, thanks. I’m good.” A picture popped up in my head, and I tried to push Mike’s smile out of my mind.

  Kat made a face like she knew better but didn’t say anything more about the subject. I heaved a heavy sigh and went back to my food.

  A thought shot right through me: What if I’ve forever lost the desire to marry anyone? Damn that jerk Connor for ruining that for me. Not only that, but my bank account too. Seeing myself as an independent woman, I had offered to pay for half the wedding, although my parents were willing to foot much of the bill. Needless to say, I ravaged my savings account to put together the most perfect day. Well, those funds went down the drain. You don’t get to cancel everything less than twelve hours before the big day and get your money back. Lesson learned.

  My phone chirped as I bit into my second hot dog, splashing a second drip of ketchup onto my soiled white shirt as I reached for my cell. “Man, I’m a mess.”

  “You certainly are.” Kat chuckled as I set down my hot dog to pick up my phone. I was pretty sure if I tried to eat and text, I’d be cleaning ketchup out of every article of clothing I was wearing and out of my hair too.

  Incoming task! The app read on my phone.

  The first day I got called to work after hours? I glanced down at the phone. Apparently, I needed to talk to someone for a story that a reporter had to finalize that night. They wanted it to be up on the website first thing in the morning.

  Kat did not appear to notice my distress. “So, tell me about this place. Is it big? What’s your boss like? Do you think you’ll like your job?” She nibbled delicately at her hot dog. “Did you meet a lot of people?”

  I took a deep breath. “The office is a dump filled with papers. It’s a tiny building. My boss’s name is Jerry. He’s a middle-aged guy who gets straight to the point. No chitchats with that one. It will be interesting, I think. I met quite a lot of people, but it’s not like any of them had time to really talk.” I frowned at my phone. “The hours might be problematic. Do you believe they’re sending me to pick something up tonight?” I straightened up. “Guess it’s time for me to get back on the horse.”

  “What do you have to pick up?” Kat asked. “Where do you have to go?”

  “It looks like it’s for an article about some guy who hit an underwater jackpot off the Coast near LA.” I studied my phone.

  Kat scooted closer, tiptoeing around the dogs like the pro she was.

  “Apparently, he found some super expensive stuff in a shipwreck—I think from the eighteen hundreds,” I continued. “I wonder what kind of artifacts they were.”

  Kat squinted at my screen, trying to read despite the sun’s glare. “Maybe he found some pirate gold.”

  “Were there pirates here?”

  Kat shrugged then went back to her hot dog.

  “Apparently, he gave some quotes to the Gazette, and I’m supposed to go talk to him down at the marina to confirm that’s what he said. I have the article right here. Also, I’m supposed to get a feel for whether someone else might have a story coming out tomorrow about all of this. Jerry likes us to be first.” After seeing the assignment, I was more intrigued than anno
yed. I felt the excitement of my new job boiling up in my veins again; it was amazing how a job I wouldn’t have even considered four months before made me so happy now. Grinning from ear to ear, I stood up, making the dogs turn all of their attention to me.

  “Sounds fun. I wonder if he’s hot,” Kat said, standing up beside me. “I’m coming with you, of course.”

  I scoffed. “You can’t come with me; I’ll be working.”

  She shrugged. “So what? Who’s to know? Plus, this is supposed to be your time off.”

  “You are not putting all of those mutts in my Jeep, Kat,” I argued, wrinkling my nose. They were cute and all, but the thought of trying to shampoo all that dog smell and fur out of my backseat was not appealing at all. “And if they scratch the leather, I won’t be able to pay to fix it.”

  Kat rolled her pretty green eyes. “Oh, come on, girl. Like anyone cares about little scratches on your leather.” Kat looked at me pleadingly. “I just want to see what your job is like; you know how I love to try new things. Come on.”

  I sighed, rubbing my temples. “If any of your dogs makes even the slightest mess—”

  “I’ll totally clean it!” Kat responded, ecstatic.

  By the time we’d laid out blankets in the back of the Jeep and gotten all of the dogs in and settled, it was too late for me to go home, shower, and change like I had wanted to. “Great; having my breakfast and my dinner all over my shirt will look very professional,” I said.

  Kat chuckled and pulled off her sweater. “Here, put this on. No one will notice.”

  I took my blazer off and pulled Kat’s sweater on over my blouse. It was a little tight around the belly and the chest, but I was pretty sure that the treasure hunter wouldn’t notice. Better than being covered in food, I guessed.

  We got into my Jeep, opened the windows enough to give the dogs some air, and backed out of the park. “What do you think this marina guy is going to be like? Did the message say how old he was or if he’s single?” Kat was off on a long string of questions, asking them rhetorically to the air as it whipped by. The dogs snuffled happily in the back seat, their noses up in the air. But I couldn’t focus on them; all I seemed to be able to think about was this new job and this assignment.

  I was getting a little nervous. I had good people skills, but Jerry had indicated that some of these news sources were so busy they saw us a nuisance. What would happen if the guy decided he didn’t want to be featured after all in our newspaper? What if he wouldn’t bother to give me what I needed?

  I took a deep breath. I’d go in with confidence. This was something I could do. That year, I’d dealt with a whole lot worse than a possibly stubborn treasure finder. You’ve got this, Hailey Webb.

  In the back seat, a small dog yipped happily, as if he read my thoughts and concurred.

  The breeze was filled with summery scents that blew through my Jeep. Things in my life were looking up.

  Kat was still chatting as we pulled into the Palm Shores Marina. I adjusted my ill-fitting sweater for the millionth time.

  Once we parked, it took Kat nearly ten minutes to corral all of the dogs out of the Jeep, cooing that she “wouldn’t leave you cuties alone for even a second.” I rolled my eyes, wondering if bringing Kat and this dog pack with me had been a huge mistake.

  The marina was way bigger than I’d expected it to be. Little wooden structures dotted a massive pier, and I could see all kinds of boats. Enraptured with the scent of the sea, the dogs ran in all directions, yanking on their leashes. I watched their noses move at a mile a minute.

  The super-long wooden dock was populated with dozens of people celebrating the warmer weather with mini ventures in their boats. The dock was filled with the sounds of soft music and the aroma of meat sizzling on grills.

  Kat grinned, handling the dogs like they were an extension of her own body. “What’s this guy’s name again?”

  “Derek O’Connell.”

  Kat sighed, sounding wistful. “Bet he’s a redhead. You know what they say about redheads, don’t you?”

  I rolled my eyes and checked my phone. “Derek O’Connell, treasure hunter, works for Pearlrover West. The boat’s name is Treasure of the Sea.”

  “Looks like his boat’s name is appropriate,” Kat said with a chuckle. “Lucky guy.”

  I frowned at my cell phone screen. “What’s Pearlrover West?”

  Kat just shrugged. “I guess it’s wherever he works when he’s not out hunting treasure and hanging out at the marina.”

  “Sounds like a good hobby he’s got,” I said. “Especially since he’ll probably end up with loads of money after this find. The article says a bunch of the pieces were gold and silver.”

  Kat let out a low whistle. “Damn, now I really hope he’s single!”

  We found the office for the marina and asked where we could find the boat called Treasure of the Sea. The worker told us it was docked but that the owner probably wasn’t there. “He usually doesn’t show up until seven when he gets off work,” the pretty young woman said with a smile. She looked a little nervous about so many dogs but didn’t say a thing about us having them along. “But you can check if you want. The boat should be anchored in slot three twenty-three.”

  She pointed us in the right direction, and we set off. “Hopefully he’s there,” I said. “I really don’t want to hang around here waiting for him.”

  “We’re not going to get too bored, and the dogs have plenty to sniff. No big deal.” Kat glanced down at the numbers painted on the little, watery parking spots for the boats. “Three twenty-one, three twenty-two. Ah-ha! Here we go! Three hundred and twenty-three.”

  I looked at the spot she indicated, studying the white-and-blue boat that was there. It was really tall, taller than I’d ever imagined the boat would be, and long. It was at least three times as long as my Jeep. There must be a sweet setup in there, I figured; it probably had a bedroom and kitchen. The name Treasure of the Sea was painted in gold, swirling letters on the outside.

  “Looks like nobody’s home,” Kat said, a frown in her voice.

  I was frowning too. “I guess not,” I said. Jerry had made it sound like it was vital I talk to this man right away. Clouds had rolled in once we’d reached the marina, and they looked dark and ominous. “And now it’s going to rain, and we’re going to be soaked,” I told my friend. Putting my hands on my hips, I sighed, glancing around. Then I pulled out my phone. “Let me see if I have a contact number for this guy.”

  “Maybe he’s inside, and we just can’t see him.” Kat was saying as two of the dogs started yanking hard on their leashes. She frowned. “They usually don’t get worked up like this. I hope that doesn’t mean the storm will be really bad.”

  A prickle of nerves spilled down my spine like I’d been drenched in ice water. I glanced up at the sky and the incoming clouds. “So they can sense a storm?”

  Kat laughed out loud at my expression. “Oh, come on. Don’t take it so seriously. You look like I just told you the world was ending.”

  “I don’t want to be outside in a flood!” I volleyed back, getting impatient. “Maybe this guy is just inside and he’s napping or something. I’m going to check.” Praying he was inside, I stepped down unsteadily onto the boat, using the handrails. It was a precarious move in high heels, but I was too stubborn to take them off.

  Once I had made it down, I wobbled uncertainly across the uneven surface. I lost my balance, and my hand landed on the handle to the door that led inside. The door was, unfortunately, unlocked, and I tumbled into the cabin face-first, stumbling over a step at the entrance.

  I cried out as I fell, summoning the dogs in from the dock. Leaping forward, they tore out of Kat’s grip and plunged over the edge of the boat, making their way to me. “Don’t!” I cried as one of the smaller dogs wriggled between me and the doorframe. I had to grab his back leg to keep him from running into the cabin.

  The other dogs surrounded me, licking my face, crying in distress, and keepi
ng me from getting back up on my feet.

  Kat was laughing so hard she was crying, and I could barely understand her as she asked, “Are you okay?”

  Pushing myself up onto my elbow, I made a face. I was just about to turn and say something snarky when something caught my eye.

  The poodle in my arms was straining forward, its little nose sniffling so rapidly, the dog looked more like a rabbit. It took me a second to realize why he was pulling so hard and what he smelled.

  Apparently, we had found our man. Stretched out in a puddle of blood was an unlucky figure I assumed to be Derek O’Connell, his body limp and at odd angles. His face was as pale as a ghost with blood spilling down his lips and dribbling from his chin. A fishing spear was lodged at an angle in his chest.

  I stared at him, my stomach swirling in a storm of hot dogs and bile. I was pretty sure I was going to throw up all over this scene.

  In the doorway, Kat looked pale, like she might be sick along with me. “Well,” she finally said, “looks like this day just took a sharp turn.”

  Chapter Four

  I kept my cool somehow and held on to the dog. Kat pulled back the others, who were straining at their leashes, and I blocked them with my body just in case.

  Trying to ignore the roiling in my stomach, I made a cautious move to stand. Oh God, I was looking at a body!

  A. Body. On. The. Floor.

  My heart began to pound. I could not imagine how this could be self-inflicted. No way was this an accident. I was pretty certain what we had here was a murder.

  Keeping a tight grip on the yapping dog, I sat up, shoving the little animal at Kat when it dared to growl. The horror of what had just happened on the boat was almost more than I could comprehend. I held a hand to my chest and forced myself to breathe. My mind registered the dog hair covering the floor and a long tear down the side of the sweater Kat had lent me. I was probably showing lots of skin. Not the best day for fashion, I thought somewhat inanely.