Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1 Read online

  Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1

  By

  Dianne Harman

  (Includes Murder on Bainbridge Island, Murder in Whistler and Murder in Seattle)

  Copyright © 2017 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

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To You, My Readers:

  I’d like to give you a little backstory on how this book came to be written. I’ve always felt I have some unfinished business – some might call it karma - in the Northwest United States, more specifically, the Seattle region. I was born in Tacoma, Washington when my father was in the Air Force. Years later, after my husband and I were first married, and he went into the Army, he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, again in the Tacoma area. Then my son attended law school in Washington, and he and his wife settled in Seattle, so several major events in my life have taken place in that area.

  I’ve visited the Northwest part of the United States so often it was a natural progression for me to write a series based in that locale. Murder on Bainbridge Island is the first in my new series, called the Northwest Cozy Mystery series. I hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed the write!

  I specifically want to thank Vivek and Tom, without whom, my books would never have been published.

  To Vivek: I’m so lucky to have found someone who can design such beautiful book covers, capably handle the technical side of publishing my books, and give me good advice!

  To Tom: Your ongoing support in this chapter of my life has allowed me to become a successful writer. I can never thank you enough for taking over all of the household tasks, which gives me time to write bestselling books!

  And last, but not least, to you, my readers: I love interacting with you, I love your comments, and I so appreciate your support. Thank you!

  Table of Contents

  MURDER ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

  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

  Recipes!

  MURDER IN WHISTLER

  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

  EPILOGUE

  RECIPES

  MURDER IN SEATTLE

  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

  RECIPES

  ABOUT DIANNE

  Amazon Author Page

  MURDER ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

  PROLOGUE

  DeeDee Wilson wiped her hands on her apron and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in the kitchen. She estimated that the dinner party guests would be ready for dessert in about ten minutes, maybe a little longer. Her helper, Susie, was in the process of clearing the main course plates from the dining room table. DeeDee hoped Susie had heard some good things about this, her first catering event, while she’d been in the dining room. A few moments later Susie burst through the kitchen door carrying an armload of plates.

  Susie was absolutely buzzing. “They loved it!” she said as she wiggled her hips in glee. She was a five foot two bundle of energy, and DeeDee marveled, not for the first time, that Susie must have been sent to her by the catering gods.

  “Really? You’re sure?” DeeDee asked with a smile spreading across her face. It was the first job for her recently opened catering business called Deelish, and she’d been a nervous wreck hoping it would go well. She reached out to take the plates from Susie. “Here, let me help you. Wow,” she said as she stacked the plates by the sink. “There isn’t a morsel of food left on any of the plates. They practically licked them clean.” She turned to Susie, her smile widening. “I think they liked it!”

  Susie giggled. “I’m telling you they definitely did. Georgia Dunne wants your recipe for the dill sauce. Georgia Dunne, even I’ve heard of her. She’s a famous sculptress, right?”

  DeeDee laughed. “More like infamous. Her Invisible Mermaid piece has divided critics for years. Mostly, because no one is able to see it. Now get back out there and clear the rest of the dishes. We don’t want the Seattle art luminaries that are sitting at the table thinking we’re amateurs and don’t know what we’re doing.”

  DeeDee had learned enough about the local art world from the time she’d spent as a docent at the Seattle Art Museum to know that there was a lot of sniping that went on between the major players. Her client, Marlene Palmer, had brought an eclectic group together for tonight’s dinner party, and while the talk from the dining room sounded like a group of good friends enjoying one another’s company, DeeDee suspected the guests would be backstabbing each other from the safety of their respective offices the following day. She didn’t want her catering company to be on the sharp end of anyone’s tongue.

  As Susie made her way back to the dining room, a silhouette of a person outside the kitchen window caught DeeDee’s eye. She looked closer, and she could see a petite blond woman pacing back and forth while she talked on a cell phone. DeeDee recognized the woman as Lisa Sanders, the owner of the prestigious Pioneer Square Art Gallery located in the heart of Seattle’s Art District. Judging from the expression on her face and the strain of her raised voice, it was apparent to DeeDee she was arguing on the phone with someone.

  Conscious of not wanting to be accused of prying on a private conversation, DeeDee turned her attention back to what needed to be done next. If she could pull off dessert without a hitch, she was confident the evening would be considered a success. She couldn’t wait to tell Jake. She hadn’t been dating Jake Rogers for long, but he had been so supportive of her new venture she had a feeling he’d be proud of her. DeeDee had been so worried about what might go wrong she hadn’t considered the possibility that tonight’s event might run like clockwork. There hadn’t been a problem the whole evening.

  Maybe I’ll get a few more bookings as a result of tonight’s s
uccess. I better not get ahead of myself, she thought, as she stirred the fudge sauce which was barely simmering on the stove. The sundae glasses were sitting on the kitchen countertop waiting to be filled with salted caramel ice cream which she’d already taken out of the freezer to soften.

  She remembered what her website designer, Milo, had said about taking some photographs of the dishes she prepared. A colorful shot of a dozen sundaes would look amazing on her new website and Pinterest page. She needed to do it quickly before Susie served the desserts to the guests. Where was Susie anyway?

  Right on cue, Susie clattered through the kitchen door carrying a huge load of plates and serving dishes. DeeDee made a mental note to talk to her later about proper catering decorum and not trying to carry too many dishes at once. Doing so, Susie was simply a disaster waiting to happen.

  Entering the kitchen behind Susie was Marlene, the head of the Department of New Acquisitions at the Seattle Museum of Art, and tonight’s dinner party hostess. A tall, striking woman, no one knew Marlene’s age, but DeeDee guessed she was in her sixties. Her reddish black hair was pulled into a chic twisted knot, and she wore a black silk designer dress, oozing elegance and sophistication. Her skin was flawless, and the only flash of color on her face was perfectly applied red lipstick. DeeDee wondered if Marlene had reapplied her lipstick after the meal, or if she’d even eaten at all. Judging by her figure, probably the latter.

  “DeeDee, darling,” Marlene gushed, in a deep husky voice. “Everything is marvelous.” Marlene threw her arms out in a flourish, almost hitting Susie, who ducked just in time. “The food is delightful. The guests just love it. It was so understated and yet so terribly delicious. You must give me some business cards for everyone. I’ve told them your prices are such a bargain. I’m so glad I took a chance on you.”

  “I really appreciate your compliments, Marlene,” DeeDee replied warmly. She was happy to accept any compliments, backhanded or not. Marlene had a way about her that could come across as mean, but her heart was in the right place. “Are you ready for us to serve dessert?”

  “I think so, my darling. I don’t want them to be here all night. They’ve imbibed far too much Cohce-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru as it is. I’m just on my way to find Lisa. She said she had to take an urgent phone call outside.” Marlene cocked her head to one side and said, “Or maybe she was trying to escape from that dreadful sleaze of a man, Bernard Metz. He’s been clinging to her all night, and I don’t think Shane is too happy about it. You go right ahead with the desserts, my dears.” Marlene said with a flick of her hand. “Have it ready in two or three minutes, and I will make sure everyone is seated.”

  “Will do,” DeeDee said. “By the way, I think I saw Lisa out back…” but Marlene was already striding past her and heading for the rear kitchen door that led towards the backyard.

  DeeDee and Susie began preparing the dessert. DeeDee scooped the thick ice cream into the sundae parfait glasses, while Susie spooned on the fudge sauce. “Not too much,” DeeDee said as she showed Susie how to do the first one. “We don’t want to drown the flavors, and we still need to add the toppings.” A light sprinkling of crushed oreos, three chocolate covered espresso beans, a dollop of whipped cream, and a cherry on top of each one and they were done. “These look amazing. Let’s just take a quick photo for the website,” DeeDee said, reaching for her camera.

  They were interrupted by a commotion from outside. There was a howl, but it didn’t sound like it was from an animal, followed by someone shouting. Alarmed, DeeDee looked over at Susie, who was staring out the window with a shocked look on her face.

  “Oh, DeeDee,” she said. “I think something terrible has happened.”

  DeeDee ran to the back door, followed by Susie. They saw Marlene on her knees, bending over what looked like a body lying on the ground.

  Marlene was nudging the body gently as if she was trying to wake someone up. She kept saying the same words over and over again, in a deep voice cracking with emotion. “Lisa, Lisa. Wake up, my darling.” Marlene looked up as DeeDee hurried towards her.

  “Marlene?” DeeDee said, as she slowly approached. “What happened? Is Lisa okay?” When she got closer, she saw that Marlene was visibly shaking. Lisa was laying on the ground, motionless.

  Marlene shook her head. “Call 911,” she whispered, as she dissolved into heavy sobs. “I don’t know if she’s going to make it.”

  “I’ll call immediately,” DeeDee said in a quiet voice.

  “Thank you. Oh, and DeeDee?”

  “Yes, Marlene?”

  “Don’t serve dessert. Keep everyone calm, and check to see if anyone else is feeling ill. Lisa was fine earlier. Maybe it was something she ate.”

  DeeDee nodded. In somewhat of a daze she walked back towards the rest of the dinner party guests who had heard the commotion and were starting to come outside. There was a lot of slurred mumbling and whispering going on among the group.

  “Everyone needs to go back inside,” DeeDee said, in a strong voice, trying to maintain control of her emotions. The guests hadn’t realized it yet, but DeeDee had seen that Lisa wasn’t just sick, she was dead.

  ***

  Susie tried to comfort DeeDee as they waited for the police and paramedics to arrive. Marlene and her husband were still outside with Lisa, while the other dinner party guests had retreated back inside to the drawing room where they were making use of the Cohce-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Apparently, their spirits were undiminished by the drama that was unfolding outside. DeeDee heard a lot of laughter coming from the drawing room.

  DeeDee made a pot of strong coffee. She sat with Susie at the kitchen counter, staring at the forlorn sundae glasses as the melted ice cream and fudge sauce became sludge. She never did get the picture for her website, but that was no longer important. DeeDee broke the silence.

  “I was so stupid to think that everything was going so well. Having someone die at my first catered event isn’t going to be great for business, right?”

  Susie stared at her boss. “Don’t be silly, DeeDee. Surely you don’t think this is your fault?” Susie reached over and squeezed DeeDee’s hand. “Marlene wasn’t thinking straight, practically blaming you and implying that Lisa was a victim of food poisoning. She just panicked. Really, you’ll see. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation. Did you call Jake? Maybe he’ll know what to do, since he’s a private investigator.”

  At the mention of Jake, DeeDee brightened up a little. “Yes, I called him, and he’s on his way. I think he…”

  She was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell signaling the arrival of the local police and paramedics. Within minutes the house was a crime scene, swarming with police officers and paramedics. Lisa’s body was taken away on a gurney, and DeeDee watched as trash barrels were searched for leftover food. “There wasn’t much left,” she tried to explain to the police, while they bagged up the melted sundaes as evidence.

  “DeeDee Wilson?” said a senior looking officer, approaching her with a notebook. “I’m Dan Hewson, Chief of Police. I understand your catering company prepared the food that was served tonight?”

  “Hey, Dan,” a familiar voice said, and DeeDee sighed with relief. Jake’s blue eyes appeared behind Dan, and he gave DeeDee a comforting smile as he walked toward them and slapped the chief’s shoulder before shaking the man’s hand.

  “Jake, good to see you. What are you doing here?”

  Jake nodded towards DeeDee. “DeeDee called me. She’s a friend of mine, and she was the one who catered the dinner tonight. I came over to see what I could do to help.”

  Dan looked from Jake to DeeDee and his face softened. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other. Step over here,” Dan said, cocking his head and motioning both Jake and DeeDee over to a quieter corner of the room.

  He continued, “We have a problem. Lisa Sanders is dead. There’s no sign of foul play, but we need to investigate all possibilities. Now,” he cleared his throat and look
ed directly at DeeDee. “It’s possible the food served at dinner may have played a factor in her death, but everyone else at the dinner tonight seems to be fine. So, between us, I think it’s highly unlikely she died as a result of eating some food prepared by you.

  “However, we can’t rule food poisoning out until pathology has gotten back to us, and the lab has run some tests on the food. Mrs. Wilson, I also understand you know the decedent from your work at the museum. Any connection between her death and the museum will have to be fully explored. We may need to speak with you again.”

  “I understand, Chief. That’s not a problem.”

  DeeDee felt much stronger with Jake by her side. Of course, she told herself, she’d soon be in the clear, once the police had investigated Lisa’s death. Until then, she’d just have to hope that her new business, and her fresh start, wasn’t ruined.

  CHAPTER 1

  DeeDee carried her coffee cup out to the chaise longue on the open deck at the back of her house on Mercer Island. She’d sat in the same spot pretty much every morning for the past twenty-four years, never tiring of the fabulous view of Lake Washington. The warmth of the rising sun was cooled by a light, fresh breeze that filtered through the tall pine trees located at the side of the property. A long garden stretched out below her, with a fenced dirt area at the end that had been empty since her ex-husband Lyle had taken Setanta, the family dog, to live with him and his fiancée. Beyond that, the bright blue water of Lake Washington sparkled in the sun.

  The house was one of the older and bigger homes on Mercer Island. The trend in recent years had been to build tall modern glassy structures. They’d sprung up all over the island. While DeeDee could appreciate some of the exciting new architectural styles, she still preferred the more traditional style of houses that she felt would stand the test of time. She wasn’t so sure about the lasting quality of the newer styles.

  She knew she was going to really miss her house, with its brick driveway, four-car garage, and sprawling gardens in the front and back. When she’d first seen the wood paneled interior hallway and the grand staircase, she’d immediately fallen in love with it, and she’d begun a full out campaign to persuade her husband, Lyle, to buy it. She remembered how he’d said it needed work, and that they couldn’t afford it, which was true. But at DeeDee’s insistence, they’d scrimped and saved and sold everything they owned until they finally had enough money to buy the house.