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Authors: Sibel Hodge,Elizabeth Ashby

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BOOK: Killer Colada: a Danger Cove Cocktail Mystery
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"I just received this threatening note. It was left on my doorstep." I handed him the envelope.

He eyed me suspiciously. "Place it on the desk."

I did as he asked while he opened his drawer and grabbed some latex gloves. He pulled them on with a slapping sound, then opened the envelope, reading.

He glanced up at me. "Anyone else touched this apart from you?"

"No. I came straight here."

He pulled out a plastic evidence bag from his drawer and plopped the note and envelope inside. "And do you have any reason why someone would threaten you?"

"Because of Pandora's death," I said.

He scrunched his face up in a scowl, nostrils flaring. Yep, definitely a gorilla face. "I knew it! You're butting in on my investigation, aren't you?" He leaned forward, threading his fingers together. "What did I tell you?"

"Look, someone's threatened me! So it must mean that you're wrong and Tim isn't the murderer, mustn't it? This was hand delivered, and Tim couldn't have done that from jail. Which means someone else killed Pandora, and Tim was set up like he claims." I blew out a frustrated breath. "Someone's trying to stop me digging any further."

"Yes. Me. Because it's a
police
investigation!" His face turned a dangerous shade of…well, I wasn't sure what it was, really. Neon watermelon, maybe? "We can't have gung-ho citizens stirring people up and poking their noses into investigations! And if you're not careful, you'll end up in the cell next to Tim Baxtor!" He vigorously wagged a finger at me.

"Are you okay?" I eyed him carefully. He looked as if he could easily burst a blood vessel any second.

"No, I'm not okay. I'm investigating a murder, and I've got Miss Marple on my tail!" His face turned redder.

"I think you should get your blood pressure checked. Or maybe do some meditating. It's great for relieving stress and—"

"Shut up, and let me speak!"

"I'm only trying to help."

"What part of shut up don't you understand? Now zip it while I talk!"

I sat back and rested my hands in my lap, suitably chastised.

He let out an angry sigh, which probably could've been heard all the way to Seattle, and said, "Tim could've easily got a friend to write this. It doesn't prove anything."

I thought about his wife, Donna. Had she sent the note? "Okay, maybe." But no, that didn't seem to fit. "But if Tim was innocent, then he'd
want
people to be asking questions, wouldn't he? He'd want the real killer to be caught, so he wouldn't be threatening me to back off."
There, take that, Lester. That blows your theory out the window, hey?
I carried on talking while I could get a word in. "And did you know that Pandora's son, Ian, was in town the day before Pandora's death, even though he told us he hadn't been back to Danger Cove for years? He had a minor traffic accident when he ran into a stop sign outside the Clip and Sip. And also—"

"Is the sign damaged?" Lester sat up straighter, suddenly appearing interested.

"What?"

"The stop sign. Is there any damage? I'm sure Officer Faria would love to follow it up if it is. Damage to town property is an offense."

I waved an exasperated hand around. Is that all he was worried about? "That's not important at the moment. What—"

"I'll decide what's important or not, Ms. Foster. Now, is it damaged?"

"Well, a little bit, but he was also in town on the
actual
day Pandora was murdered. Officer Faria gave him a speeding ticket at ten past four on the road that leads out of Danger Cove. That was ten minutes after we found her body. So what I'm trying to say is that Ian lied to me about not being in town. Why would he do that if he wasn't involved in Pandora's death? You have to admit the timing is weird. If he hadn't seen his mom for years, then suddenly visits the day before and on the day of her death, what happened? What is he trying to hide?"

"That he ran into a stop sign and didn't report it?" Lester said. "And that he needs to go on a speed-awareness course?" Lester scribbled something down in a notepad on his desk. "I'll get Officer Faria onto that right away."

"Don't you think it's suspicious?" I couldn't help thinking that Ian's sudden arrival had somehow sparked off Pandora's death. What if they'd argued about something? Then maybe he'd hatched a plan to come back and kill her and frame Tim Baxtor. There was something about Tim's involvement that just seemed too…perfect. Too choreographed. Ian could've used a throwaway phone to lure Tim to Pandora's house, then slipped inside the back door after Tim left but before we arrived.

"I think it's an offense, and we'll be having words with him about it if there's any damage to the stop sign."

"So you'll speak to him? Find out what he was doing here? Why he was seen a couple of streets away from Pandora's the day before she was murdered? Ask him why minutes later he was speeding away from the very town where his mom was murdered?"

Lester began shuffling some papers on his untidy desk with a bored expression on his face. "We have the murderer in custody, and he's going to be arraigned later today. The evidence is very clear. If I were you, I'd get back to
bartending
and leave the real police work to the professionals."

I was really good then. I didn't even snort. It took a lot of effort though.

"And what about the threatening note? Will you check to see if there are any prints on it?"

"Yeah, yeah." He waved me away. "But don't expect too much. We're busy trying to put a case together against Baxtor. That'll take priority." He bent his head over the desk and picked up his phone, pressing buttons like he was sending a text. He glanced up when I hadn't moved. "Are you still here?"

"Don't you need to take
my
prints to compare with any you find on the note?"

"We already have them on file, from when you were arrested before."

I thought back to my initial arrest for Bob's murder, before I was vindicated. "Oh yeah."

"And you'd better get out of here now before I arrest you again for obstruction of justice or interfering with witnesses or"—he shrugged casually—"something."

I turned on my heels and walked out of his office, then stuck my tongue out at him through the wall. Childish, maybe, and even though he couldn't see me, it made me feel better. The guy was so frustrating! And an idiot. And lots of other things that were probably too rude to name. What I really wanted to do was whack some sense into him, batter him over the head with his briefcase, but knowing Lester, there would be nothing in it apart from junk food, and that wouldn't be heavy enough for what I had in mind. Instead, I breathed deeply, muttering a calming mantra to hopefully channel some more positive, relaxed energy.

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

I was so deep in thought as I dropped off my bike and walked around the outside of the tavern toward the pub garden that I didn't see Carmen until she called out to me.

"Oy, Holly or…whatever your name is!" she yelled.

I stopped. Turned around, suppressing a growl that she'd got my name wrong yet again. She was totally doing it on purpose. Her shorts were even tinier today, if that was possible. Her cleavage was just about held in by her skimpy tank top, but I wouldn't want to take bets on those puppies actually staying in there when she started working. She couldn't have been more obvious if she'd been screaming "Come and get me!" at the top of her voice.

"Oh, hey." I forced a smile.
Be calm. Be patient. Send her peace and love thoughts.
"How's the dig going?"

"Very well," she said, doing that
eyeing me up and down
thing again. She peered closer at me with a glacial grin on her face. "I'd sue your hairdresser if I were you. That cut looks really uneven. And…those highlights are green!"

A hand instinctively went to my new haircut and smoothed down the waves. It wasn't uneven at all. And it definitely didn't look green. Bitch.

Okay, sorry, Universe. I know that was really nasty, but, can you blame me?

I wanted to wipe that grin off her face. I'd learned Muay Thai boxing in Thailand and kung fu in China, and I did a mean uppercut and spinning backfist that could easily render someone unconscious, especially if she weren't expecting a five-foot-three-inch bartender to be on the other end of the blow. I was torn between wanting to do one of those moves or simply punching her. They were all pretty tempting. I couldn't let her walk all over me. But that would make me just as bad as her.

Rise above it, Hope! Do not give her the satisfaction of letting her know she's got to you.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" I folded my arms across my chest to stop from slapping her. Keeping my inner anger from popping out was hard going when she was around. I summoned up a supreme smile.

Peace and love. Peace and love.

"Actually, I have a message from Harvey. He's found a section of the hull from the
Ocean's Revenge
, so it looks like he's going to be tied up with recovering that for the rest of the day. He told me to tell you he'd have to cancel your dinner plans. What a shame!" She gave me one of her signature smug smiles that bared a little too much teeth for my liking. She reminded me of a snapping crocodile, lying in wait with that creepy grin on its face, vicious teeth poking out either side, just waiting for the right moment when its prey was close by to strike. "You don't mind, do you?" A sneer crinkled up her face as she crossed her arms around her cleavage.

I did mind. Lately, Harvey and I never seemed to have a minute alone. And with Carmen butting into our lives, and maybe Harvey's bedroom, I minded a hell of a lot. But I'd never give her the satisfaction of letting it show. Anyway, this was Harvey's job. An important find that could blow his career sky high. I wasn't about to ruin things for him. Still, it didn't help my wish that Carmen would suddenly be called back to England and get out of our lives, because if Harvey had now found what he'd been searching for, it meant Carmen would probably be sticking around too. Great! "No, of course I don't mind. This is important for Harvey," I said as casually as I could, trying hard to hide the crack in my voice. I didn't want to sound desperate.

"Exactly. Far more important than any date with you." She tossed her long hair over her shoulders, a haughty gleam in her eyes.

I ignored her snarky barb and left her there, her words ringing in my ears as I headed inside the tavern. Ruby was at the bar, serving a coffee to Elizabeth Ashby, the famous Danger Cove author who came in sometimes with her notebook and pen and whiled away a few hours, writing with deep concentration. I always wondered if she was using the locals as character material for her books.

"Hi, Elizabeth, how are you?" I asked, stepping behind the bar, forcing my anger at Carmen back down.

She gave me a huge smile. "Everything's great. How are you?" She glanced around. "I'm so glad Bob left this place to you. It looks like business is going well."

"Very well, thanks. Are you working on a new book?"

She tapped her nose secretively. "Always." She took her coffee to one of the booths, pulled out her notebook from a quilted bag, and began scribbling with earnest.

"How did you get on with Lester?" Ruby turned to me, hand on hip.

"As you'd expect, really. The only thing he's concerned about is whether Ian damaged the stop sign! He's not interested in checking whether he's got an alibi or not. And before I got there, I received a threatening note!"

"What?" Her mouth fell open. "What did it say?"

I told her. "So I think that proves my theory that someone other than Tim killed Pandora, and we must be on the right track. Someone's getting rattled."

Ruby bit her lip, eyes misting with worry. "Look, maybe we should just stop this and let Lester handle it. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"We can't. At least I can't. I'd hate to think of someone being wrongly convicted and sent to prison for the rest of his life. Or worse, getting the death penalty. And you know as well as me that Lester's not looking any further than Tim. Anyway, I can look after myself." I wasn't overly worried about being able to protect myself with my martial arts training. Okay, maybe just a little. A vision of me doing one of those moves on Carmen sprang into my head again, but I trampled the thought down. I didn't want to think about her. It would just give credence to her bitchiness.

"Is Lester running prints on the threatening note?"

"Probably not in this century. So again, it's up to us to find out the truth."

"Well, you be careful, and stay alert."

"I will."

"Vernon's been in your office on the laptop since you left, looking into Ian's background."

"Great. Let's hope he comes up with something that might help." I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and glugged thirstily. "Maybe we should also take a closer look at Donna. What if she knew Tim was going to see Pandora that day and didn't like it? They work together in the pharmacy, don't they? Tim could've told her Pandora had contacted him, and Donna didn't want all the accusations being resurrected again, which would ruin their business and reputation. She could've had a motive to shut Pandora up."

"By framing her husband?"

I shrugged. "Maybe she's not as angry and upset about his arrest as it seemed when I saw her talking to Bud Ohlsen. It could all be an act. I think I need to go to the pharmacy and see her. See what I can find out." I turned to a couple of guys who'd approached the bar and served them a pitcher of beer. Then I said to Ruby, "Carmen just told me Harvey's found some of the wreckage from the
Ocean's Revenge
."

"Really? Wow! That's great for him."

"Yes." I tried to sound enthusiastic. It was huge for him.

"But?" She tilted her head in a question.

"But it means Carmen will be here longer, and it's obvious she wants him back."

Ruby put an arm around my shoulder and hugged me toward her. "It takes two to tango, as they say. And I'm certain Carmen isn't on Harvey's dance card anymore. Harvey's besotted with you."

"I don't know," I mumbled, fiddling with my tiger's-eye bracelet.

She hugged me tighter. "Stop worrying about something that might not happen."

"It's just that he's the first guy I've liked for a long time. The only one I've taken a chance on since Nick. I don't want to get hurt again. Maybe I should just stop things with him now before I get any deeper involved."

"Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and put yourself out there."

"What, like you and Vernon? It's obvious you two still love each other, and look at you guys."

Ruby stiffened and stared out of the window with a sad expression, as if remembering their past relationship. Ruby had been a witness in a case Vernon was working on when they'd met, and he'd saved her life. In the process, Vernon had been shot in the knee in the line of duty, and his fast-tracked career in the FBI took a nosedive when he was moved to desk duties. After they became involved romantically, Vernon's pride came between them, and he'd thought Ruby was only with him because she felt pity for him. Sadly, things hadn't worked out between them, but it was never too late to try again.

"Love doesn't always conquer all, you know," Ruby muttered, shaking her head.

"Exactly. Especially when you've got someone like Carmen breathing down your neck."

"Why don't you have a heart to heart with Harvey and tell him how you feel?" She swung around to face me.

"Because I don't think Harvey can see what she's like. When he's around, she's smiley and friendly, but when he's not there, her true colors come out. And I don't want to come across like a jealous girlfriend."

She gave me a sympathetic smile. "What's that saying? If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they're yours. If not, they never were? You can't
make
someone love you, or manipulate them into being with you if they don't want to."

"I know that. And I wouldn't want to, either."

"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about Carmen."

"Well, maybe that works just as well with you and Vernon. His health scare has thrown you together in the same house now. It could be a sign that you should both try again."

Just then Vernon rushed from the corridor that led to my office, with a grin plastered on his face. "It turns out that Ian isn't just a cardiologist at the Seattle clinic. He actually owns it. But the business hasn't been doing well lately. I went through his finances, and it seems he's been skimming money from the practice to fund a gambling addiction he's had for years."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't strike me as that type of guy," Ruby said. "He seemed so…ordinary. Well, apart from the expensive car."

"He was probably playing it down when he came to see you," Vernon said. "If he did kill Pandora, he'd want it to seem like he was the shocked, estranged son. Pandora was loaded. Ian could've been in town trying to talk Pandora into giving him a loan. And when she didn't…"

"He came back and killed her to get the inheritance instead and frame Tim," I finished for him. "There's also another possible motive." I filled Vernon in about Donna, who may have been worried Pandora was out to bad-mouth Tim and ruin their business.

"We need to tell Lester all this new information," Ruby said.

"He won't listen to us," I said. "If I go back and see him, he's likely to arrest me."

"Why, what happened?" Vernon asked.

I told him about my earlier meeting with Lester and the horrible letter left on my step.

"You got a threatening note, and that asshole doesn't think it's worth investigating?" Vernon's voice rose. His face turned a similar color to Lester's. Then he winced and rubbed his belly.

"Calm down," Ruby said gently. "Stress isn't any good for stomach problems."

"But that guy's a total jerk. He makes me so angry!"

"Come on. Take a deep breath." Ruby inhaled loudly. She blew it out again with overexaggeration. "Just like that. Do it with me."

"I know how to breathe!"

"You don't. Deep breathing is designed to get some calming energy and oxygen flowing. Or how about I do a guided meditation for you to get you to relax? Or you could do the breath of fire to detoxify you."

"Breath of what? I haven't got time for all that rubbish." He waved an exasperated hand around. "I'll pop a pill instead." He reached under the counter for one of his prescriptions and threw a couple of antacids in his mouth, swallowing them with a swig of water.

"You need to relax, darling," Ruby singsonged, her upbeat tone hiding the anxiety and worry I could clearly see in her eyes.

"I know what I'm doing," Vernon grumbled, wincing again.

"Parsley tea," Ruby said. "That's what might help. Mixed with some grapefruit seed extract and oregano oil. Full of antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories. I'll make you some when we get home."

Vernon winced again, although I'm not sure if that was at the thought of Ruby's concoction or the pain this time. "I'd rather drink a dog-crap smoothie."

"You're such a stubborn…" Ruby struggled for the right word, her mouth flapping open and closed.

"What?" Vernon challenged her. "A stubborn what?"

"Okay, time out, you two!" I made a
T
sign with my hands. "You're worse than a couple of five-year-olds! I'll put you both in detention if you're not careful."

That seemed to diffuse the tension between them, and Vernon and Ruby glanced at each other, then burst out laughing.

"Can we talk about Pandora without you getting stressed?" I pointed at Vernon. "And without you worrying about Vernon?" I pointed at Ruby.

"I'm not worried. If he wants to kill himself, it's up to him." Ruby shrugged, giving her best uninterested impression, but she wasn't fooling me.

BOOK: Killer Colada: a Danger Cove Cocktail Mystery
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