Murder on the East Coast: A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Read online

  MURDER ON THE EAST COAST

  By

  Dianne Harman

  (A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery - Book 10)

  Copyright © 2016 Dianne Harman

  www.dianneharman.com

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Website, Interior & Cover design by Vivek Rajan (Rewire Your DNA)

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1537246161

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  As always, thank you, my loyal readers, for taking the time to read the books I write! Obviously, I love writing them, and I’m so glad you seem to enjoy reading them. Think it’s called a win-win situation! This is book number ten in the popular Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series featuring Kelly and Sheriff Mike Reynolds. I hope you like it as much as you’ve enjoyed the books in my other four cozy mystery series, Liz Lucas, High Desert, Midwest, and Jack Trout. Because of you, every one of my books has received Amazon’s prestigious “bestseller” gold flag. I’m truly humbled and honored. Thanks again!

  This book came about as a result of a trip to Virginia to attend a graduation ceremony and see a friend of mine, Jackie Ritacco, receive her doctorate degree. Yes, I became a believer in she crab soup and lobster rolls after the trip, and yes, I did visit Boston and York, Maine. It was a fascinating trip and took me to places I’d never before visited. Funny aside – my husband read the prologue of the book and said, “Oh no, you can’t have Jackie murdered. I play golf with her husband!” I assured him the victim was not our friend, Jackie, but instead another graduate.

  This novel is a book of fiction, so therefore it’s a figment of my imagination, but that imagination was fueled by the graduation I saw and the places I visited!

  As always, thanks to Vivek who creates fabulous covers and patiently prepares my books for final publication. And to Tom, my husband, who gives me ideas for books and catches mistakes I somehow never saw! I totally rely on both of them. Thanks, gentlemen!

  And as I usually do, I need to thank my dog, Kelly, for her ability to constantly keep me amused and finally, thank heavens, learning to play by herself. Rolling a ball down the stairs, running down to get it, bringing it to the top of the stairs, and doing it all over again can keep her busy for hours! Thanks, Kelly!

  I hope you enjoy reading this book. I certainly enjoyed the write!

  In closing, if you’re interested in reading psychological suspense books, I invite you to read my award-winning Coyote Series. Here’s the link: http://ow.ly/sv9K301QScc.

  Free Paperbacks

  I'm giving away seven free autographed paperbacks. Find out more at www.dianneharman.com/freepaperback.html

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  EPILOGUE

  Recipes!

  ABOUT DIANNE

  PROLOGUE

  It was a beautiful sunny Virginia day when Julie Jensen proudly stepped across the outdoor stage at the graduation ceremony and accepted her DSL, Doctor of Strategic Leadership, diploma from the dean of the Business School. She waved it above her head as she left the stage, red hair streaming out from under her cap, grinning at the applause from the huge crowd cheering on the graduates. It was a dream come true, the culmination of years of thinking about the diploma she now held in her hand. She knew her life would never be the same, but what she didn’t know was she only had hours to live.

  CHAPTER 1

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Westin from the flight deck. I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you, but we’re going to have to make an emergency landing in Knoxville, Tennessee. We have a de-icing problem with the plane which shouldn’t take long to fix. I promise you we’ll be back in the air in no time. Thanks for your patience!”

  “Well, this is a first,” Kelly said. “I’ve never been to Knoxville before, but judging by all the green fields I can see below us, it looks like they get plenty of rain.”

  “Nor have I,” Mike said. “I wonder how long we’re going to be delayed. I’m glad the graduation ceremony is tomorrow and not tonight, or we probably wouldn’t make it.”

  “After Steph has worked so hard to get her DSL, and was so excited we were going to be at her graduation along with her family, I think she’d really be disappointed if we didn’t make it because of a mechanical failure on our plane. Every time I tell people a fifty-five-year-old friend of mine is getting a doctorate, they can’t believe it.”

  “Yeah, it’s a pretty big deal. Wonder how Rich is going to feel about her making dinner reservations in the name of Dr. and Mr. Rocco.”

  “I think he’s just happy she’s finished with it. Working full time, being married, and trying to earn a doctorate degree, had to be exhausting for her, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him. They’re going to Mexico a couple of days after she graduates for a little R and R time, and I think they both deserve it. She wanted to go directly from here, but she has to make some big presentation in Portland on Monday at the company where she works.”

  “This is Captain Westin again. I’ve just been notified we’ll be changing planes when we land, and as soon as all the luggage has been transferred, we’ll be back in the air. Please stay in the lounge area close to the gate, so we can leave promptly. Thank you.”

  “That’s encouraging. We probably have time for a coke, and that’s about it. I wasn’t looking forward to spending the night in the airport terminal,” Mike said as he followed Kelly down the aisle of the plane and into the terminal waiting area.

  True to the Captain’s word, thirty minutes later their flight was announced over the PA system, and they boarded the replacement plane and continued on their way to Norfolk, Virginia. The trip was short, and even though they landed an hour later than planned, it was still light out. They retrieved their luggage from the baggage carousel and then walked to the nearby rental car booth. Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to the hotel which was located on the university campus and where they’d be staying for the next two days.

  “Wow! I had no idea the university was large enough to have its own hotel on the campus. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Stephanie told me she had to make our reservations really far in advance, and now I can see why. I imagine everyone wants to stay in this hotel on graduation weekend,” Kelly exclaimed as she looked out the car window at the large beautifully landscaped campus.

  “What about dinner tonight? Are we meeting Stephanie and Rich?”

  “No. I texted her when we had the de-icing problem in K
noxville. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be there, and I didn’t want them to wait for us. Think we made it here just in time. It’s starting to get dark and driving around in a new area is always a little difficult. Let’s check in and then find a place to eat. I’m starving!” Kelly said.

  They walked through the hotel lobby to the reception desk, passing by several placards indicating in which rooms private graduation parties were being held.

  “Welcome to the Plantation Inn,” the beautiful dark haired young woman said in a heavy southern drawl. “Y’all here for the graduation?”

  “Yes, a friend of ours is graduating tomorrow. We’re from Oregon.”

  “Must be a good friend to come all that way. You can pick up a map over there that’ll show you how to get to the graduation ceremony tomorrow morning. It’s not far from here. And your name?”

  “Mike and Kelly Reynolds.”

  “I don’t see those exact names, but I do have a Sheriff and Mrs. Mike Reynolds.”

  “That would be us,” Kelly said. “By the way, I’m starving. I’m assuming you have a restaurant here.”

  “We do, but there are so many parties here tonight it closed early. The kitchen was just plain overwhelmed by all the catering jobs, but the pub is open, and you can get a sandwich there.”

  “That will do just fine. We’ll put our luggage in our room and be back in a few minutes. Could you point us in the right direction?” Mike asked.

  “Pub’s down that hall. When you get to the end take a left. You can’t miss it. Personally, I think the hamburger is really good.”

  “You’ve sold me. A few French fries on the side, and I’ll be happy,” Kelly said smiling at the young woman as she returned Mike’s credit card to him. The receptionist handed them a map of the hotel and circled where their room was located.

  After they finished registering, they walked back to where Mike had parked their rental car in the hotel parking lot. “Kelly, I think we’ll take our bags directly to the room. The parking lot’s so crowded I don’t think I’ll be able to find a spot closer to our room, and I’d sure hate to lose the one I have. Matter of fact, with the looks of all the parties being held here tonight, I think we were lucky to find this one.”

  An hour and a half later, full of hamburgers and french fries, they went to bed looking forward to the next day and the upcoming graduation. They both slept soundly, not knowing that less than twenty-fours later they would begin a search for a killer.

  CHAPTER 2

  The next morning after they had their coffee, showered, and gotten dressed, Kelly said, “Mike, I just got a text from Stephanie. She has to report early to the staging area with the other graduates and said we should meet Rich and the rest of her family in the lobby. We can walk to the graduation ceremony from there.”

  “Give me two minutes. I need to finish this email. Evidently yesterday was pretty eventful in Beaver County. Not only was there a major traffic accident, but there were also reports of several burglaries, all of them in county territory and under my jurisdiction. I told my deputy I’d meet him at the office as soon as our plane lands Sunday. Actually, I think I better see if we can get an earlier flight.”

  “Well, try not to let it spoil today. I know we’re here for Steph’s graduation, but you deserve a little break from work. I’m sure your deputies can handle things in your absence.”

  “You sound a lot more confident than I feel,” he said, putting his phone in his pocket and walking towards the door. “Let’s go.”

  *****

  It was a beautiful late Spring day, sunny and warm. Thousands of people waited expectantly for the graduates to cross the stage and pick up their diplomas, which assured them that they had indeed earned a degree. Mike and Kelly sat with Rich and the rest of Stephanie’s family, her sister, son, daughter, and granddaughter. When Stephanie crossed the stage to pick up her diploma, all of them yelled and clapped as loudly as they could. They repeated the process a few minutes later when Stephanie’s friend, Julie Jensen, accepted hers.

  Rich leaned over and said to Kelly, “I’m sure Julie appreciated that. You know Stephanie met her through the DSL program here at the university, and when she decided to divorce her husband, Stephanie convinced her to move to Portland and work in her company. Julie had been doing similar work for a company like Stephanie’s, so it was an easy transition for her. Unfortunately, we’re all she has here at the graduation. Her mother’s in very ill health, Julie’s going through a divorce, she doesn’t have any children, and I guess her brother’s a real good-for-nothing. I’m glad we included her in the celebration dinner we’re going to have tonight.”

  “I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Kelly said. “Stephanie’s told me so much about her. I’m glad we could be here to support her and Stephanie. This is a pretty big deal for both of them.”

  “You bet it is,” Brigette, Stephanie’s daughter said, laughing. “Now I can have my mom back, and she can babysit for me.”

  “Actually, I’m looking forward to having my golfing partner back,” Rich chimed in. “Trust me, it’s been a long three years, but I have to say I’m really proud of her. I was playing around on the Internet one day, and I tried to look up the percent of people in the United States who hold doctoral degrees, but I never did find anything definitive. The only thing I came away with is that it really is a big deal!”

  “Rich, text us and let us know what time dinner is tonight,” Mike said. We’re going to have lunch in Virginia Beach at a place called Bubba’s. Yeah, I know, you never want to play poker with a guy named Doc, you never eat breakfast at a place called Mom’s, and you sure don’t eat lunch at a place called Bubba’s when you’re in the South,” Mike said with a smile on his face.

  He was interrupted by Rich who was looking at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding, of course. I’d never eat at any place called Bubba’s.”

  “No, Rich, he’s not kidding,” Kelly said. “I checked out all of the reviews, and this place is supposed to have the best she crab soup and crab cakes in all of Virginia. One of Mike’s deputies told him he couldn’t come to this part of the United States and not eat at Bubba’s, so we’ll see you later. Tell Stephanie how proud we are of her.” With that, she and Mike stood up and walked towards the rear of the crowd as they headed back to their hotel room and then on to lunch.

  *****

  “There it is, Mike. Pull into that narrow driveway. I hope the food is better than their signage. We almost missed it.”

  “From the number of cars in the parking lot, we’re not the only ones who read about Bubba’s, or maybe these are the locals. Actually, I hope that’s the case. The locals always know where the best places are to eat.”

  As they walked up the steps of the waterfront restaurant they saw some fishing boats in the water on the far side of the restaurant. “May I help you?” the young waiter asked.

  “Yes, two for lunch.”

  “Would you like to eat on the patio or inside?”

  “Mike, I’d like to eat inside,” Kelly said. “I’m still hot after sitting in the sun during the graduation. Air conditioning sounds just fine to me right now.”

  “Please follow me,” the young man said as he led them to a table with a view of the fishing boats bobbing up and down in the estuary next to the restaurant. He saw them looking out at the boats and said, “Yes, that’s how fresh our catches are. You can watch while they unload them. Your waiter will be with you in a moment.”

  They looked at the menus the waiter brought, although both of them had decided before they’d even entered the restaurant that they were going to have she crab soup and crab cakes. When the waiter brought their soup, Kelly sipped a spoonful and said, “Now I know why people rave about this. I don’t know if I could ever make anything close to this at the coffee shop, but I sure would like to try. This is fantastic.”

  “Couldn’t agree more. By the way, Kelly, you told me once, but I’ve forgotten. I know you and Stephanie lived next door to e
ach other when you were growing up, and then she moved to Portland. How did you get from her moving to Portland to coming here for her graduation?”

  “Even though Stephanie was a year older than me, we were always good friends. After high school, she left for college, and I stayed in Cedar Bay and helped my parents run Kelly’s Koffee Shop. I got married, had two children, and became a widow. She got married twice, had two children, and raised them after her second divorce. She worked full time in the health care industry. She always loved to learn and even with her children and working full time, she managed to get a master’s degree in health care.

  “No matter what was going on in our lives, we always talked to each other by phone at least once a week. About five years ago she started telling me she wished she’d gone on and gotten a doctorate. I told her it wasn’t too late. We went back and forth a lot about it. She’d recently married Rich and was afraid it wouldn’t be fair to her new husband to take on something like that, but the one thing she kept harping on was that she was just too old to do it. She said by the time she got her degree she’d be in her mid-fifties. I remember telling her once that she was going to be in her mid-fifties anyway, so she might as well have her degree when she got there.”

  Kelly stopped talking as the waiter cleared their soup bowls and served them the crab cakes they’d ordered. Mike took a bite and said, “Don’t even try to duplicate these. They are simply wonderful. Bet it has something to do with being on the East Coast. Think they’d lose some essential taste if they were frozen and had to travel across the country.”

  “You’re probably right. I’m just glad to have the chance to experience them. The bar these set would probably be too hard to exceed. Think this will have to be just a good memory. Anyway, let me wrap this up about Stephanie. During one of our conversations I told her if she got her doctorate, I’d fly back here to Virginia and attend her graduation. She never let me forget it, and of course, I had to do it. By the way, glad you were so easy to convince.”