Lantern Beach Mysteries Box Set Read online

  “You went above and beyond, I’d say.”

  “That’s me. Mr. Above and Beyond.”

  “I owe you . . . I guess.” She started walking again on the soft sand, which was already warming in the morning sun. Kujo pranced beside them, occasionally chasing a seagull or two. The tide had pushed up broken shells overnight, and as they walked closer to the water, the shells crunched beneath their feet.

  Ty’s gaze turned serious. “So who was that guy?”

  Cassidy shrugged stiffly, knowing Ty was bound to ask. Who wouldn’t? “Long story.”

  “You just put me through all that, and all you’re going to say is, long story?”

  “It’s . . .” What did she say? And was it really fair to say she put him through all that? All she’d done was hide behind him, and the rest had been his fault. “It’s hard to know where to start.”

  “From the beginning.”

  She let out a mental sigh. Actually, no. She’d done that one out loud.

  Laid-back and beach-loving. Low profile.

  Those reminders constantly floated in Cassidy’s mind.

  She needed a cover story and fast. “I . . . used to . . . to date his son. There. Now you know. Happy now?”

  Ty’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  Cassidy nodded. “I mean, I only met Larry once. His son—Justin is his name—wasn’t very close to his family.”

  “Did you come here to get away from Justin?” Ty asked.

  Oh, did he think . . . ? Think that she was running away from a bad relationship? Did her family count?

  Cassidy should probably correct Ty. But . . . his assumption fit her cover story so well. Still, every lie only compounded her guilt. Why did her deceits feel so much different than the deceit she’d rehearsed when she’d infiltrated DH-7?

  “I guess you could say that,” she finally said.

  “And you don’t want your ex to know where you are?”

  “Exactly. It’s important.”

  “Then I owe you an apology. I’m sorry.”

  Surprise rippled through Cassidy, the emotion throwing her off guard. “Thanks.”

  They walked silently beside each other, looking for the little Maltese. They checked the dune grass. Beneath houses. Near the street.

  Once they reached the rocky jetty near the inlet, marsh grasses extended, making it impossible to walk any farther. Instead, they turned around.

  Finally Cassidy cleared her throat. “So, you said last night that you were trying to find additional evidence about this murder here on the island. How’s that going?”

  Ty shrugged. “Not well. Not really.”

  “I see. I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Are you?”

  “Believe it or not, I like seeing people succeed—when they’re doing something worthwhile, that is.”

  “I’m glad that solving a murder is worthwhile to you. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to put my time into it.”

  “I met the wife of the accused man. She’s on my ice cream route. It’s been really heartbreaking to see how this has torn her apart.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “What’s holding you back from digging in?”

  He shrugged and jammed his hands into his pockets. “It’s hard to investigate when you don’t have all the details or you’re not working in an official capacity.”

  Cassidy could totally understand that.

  “Besides,” Ty continued, “not only could I find a killer, but also get ten thousand. You can’t beat that kind of money.”

  At his words, an idea began to form in her mind. That was right. The money. That would be a great excuse to get involved—one that people wouldn’t even bat an eyelash at. It was the perfect motive.

  She’d played with the idea earlier, but hadn’t given it much weight. Now that she felt closer to finding answers, maybe she should seriously consider using the reward as a reason to investigate. It made perfect sense.

  “Good for you. Just stay safe.” She wasn’t sure why she cared. Not really. She’d seen firsthand how dangerous investigating could be, and she didn’t want to see Ty get mixed up in that kind of trouble.

  “Stay safe?”

  She shrugged, trying to temper her words. “Finding a killer sounds dangerous.”

  “Well, thanks for looking out for me.” He offered her a small smile that had shards of either amusement or satisfaction or both. She wasn’t sure which.

  “I’m just being neighborly.” He’d used that word earlier, so she figured it was safe enough.

  They paced a few more minutes in silence.

  Their steps slowed as they neared their cottages.

  “Look, Cassidy, I know we’ve kind of started on the wrong foot,” Ty said. “I apologize for that.”

  “You do?” She’d been the one who was supposed to apologize. It was the whole reason she’d come over this morning.

  “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m not totally heartless.”

  “I’m not that surprised. And I don’t think you’re totally heartless.” Why did she find it so hard to just lay it out there? She kicked the sand and shrugged. “What I mean is, apology accepted.”

  What in the world? She’d been through rounds and rounds of etiquette school, and this was how she was responding right now? Like someone without a manner in the world? Her mom would not approve.

  Then again, her mom never approved. And maybe that was why Cassidy felt so lost today. No, not just today, but it was why she felt so lost in life.

  Chapter 24

  After saying goodbye to Ty, Cassidy hopped on her rusty bike.

  She wasn’t going to do this. She was going to mind her own business and stay low.

  But after her talk with Ty, she finally had an excuse to get involved with this investigation. She could tell people it was for the money, and no one would think twice.

  The realization thrilled her.

  With that thought in mind, she headed toward the boat repair shop. As much as she wanted to track down Lydia, she knew most people wouldn’t be up and out this early. Her best bet was to start with the boat.

  She decided to begin with the shop on the far end of town—Dock Landing if she remembered correctly—instead of the one right next to the marina. She’d eyeballed the one at the marina yesterday, and it had seemed nice. Aboveboard. She wanted to see if this other shop might have more of a shady vibe.

  She pulled to a stop in front of a rusted metal building. Her bike would fit right in at this place. Numerous cars sat out front, as well as boats in the back. Maybe this place worked on a little of everything.

  She straightened her clothes and took her hair down from her ponytail as she stepped inside the shop. Behind the counter, the man’s eyes lit when he saw her.

  And Cassidy hated herself for a minute.

  “Can I help you?” The man was probably twenty pounds overweight—mostly in his midsection—and he had dark hair that was pulled back into a greasy ponytail. When he smiled, he displayed yellowed teeth.

  Cassidy smiled and leaned against the counter. The name embroidered on his uniform read Clark. “Hi, Clark. I’m thinking about having the seats on my boat re-upholstered. Do you do that here?”

  He nodded slowly, his eyes still warm with interest. “I sure do. What kind of boat?”

  “It’s a Carolina Skiff.”

  “Do you have it out front? I can take a look.”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

  “Bring it by sometime, and I’ll give you an estimate. We do the best work of anyone within sixty miles of here. I swear on my mom’s grave.”

  Cassidy would guess due to the neatly packed lunchbox beside him and the lack of a wedding ring that his mom was still alive—and he probably still lived at home.

  “That sounds great. Would you mind showing me around a little? I mean, I know that sounds strange, but I want to know that the person who does this work can do a good job. I’ve dealt with a lot of incompet
ence in the past.”

  “I assure you that I’m the best.” His eyes dimmed a little, as if she’d challenged him.

  “Then you won’t mind me asking you to prove it.”

  His eyes sparked, almost as if he’d read more into her statement than she’d intended. “By all means.”

  He stepped from around the counter and put his hand on her back to lead her into the repair area. As soon as she stepped inside, the scent of motor oil and grease hit her. The clanging of metal tools against cars and boats clinked through the air and a Top 40 song played in the background.

  The repair bay was larger than Cassidy had assumed it would be. One truck was inside, as well as four boats. Probably six employees worked diligently on the projects.

  Cassidy’s gaze scanned the space for the fine details. But from her position, she couldn’t see everything she needed. Mainly, she couldn’t tell if her mystery boat was here.

  “As you can see, we have everything we need here,” Clark said.

  “It looks like you do. It’s a big operation for a small island.”

  His chest puffed out. “People from up and down the East Coast come to this area. We get a lot of work.”

  “How long have you been in business?” She didn’t really care, but she needed to sound legit.

  “Eight years.”

  She paced as they talked, trying to appear interested.

  Then her breath caught.

  There it was. The boat. The boat. The one missing a piece on its side. The piece she’d found.

  She flinched as she studied the damage. “What happened to that one?”

  “I guess the waters got rough, and it collided with a dock.”

  She observed the dark paint on the side. That was no dock. Docks weren’t painted black.

  “That stinks,” she said. “I bet the owner’s not very happy.”

  “No, I’d imagine not.”

  “Is he stuck in town for a while until it’s repaired? Or is he one of those people passing through on a cruise down the East Coast?” Cassidy was pushing it with her questions, but she hoped she sounded lighthearted enough not to raise any red flags.

  “Not sure. Didn’t ask too many questions. I just know he asked us not to tell his wife.” He laughed. “I guess he was afraid of getting in trouble.”

  “I bet.” She soaked in the name. ANNABELLE. Well, when she added the AN that’s what it was. Right now, it was the “nabelle.”

  “So, any more questions?” the man asked.

  Cassidy snapped her head back to him. “No, I think I’m good.”

  “You want to set up an appointment?”

  “I sure do. But could I run to the bathroom first?”

  He nodded. “Sure thing. It’s right inside, off the lobby.”

  She slipped inside to the reception area, but she didn’t go to the bathroom.

  No, she glanced at the little book where Clark kept all the information about his clients.

  And she found the owner’s name—the owner of the boat with the broken piece.

  After picking up her ice cream truck, Cassidy typed in the address associated with the broken boat and was disappointed when she drove there to find that it was . . . the old lighthouse. A place no one lived.

  Of course.

  No doubt the owner’s name was also fake, and the boat’s registration numbers—usually listed on the side of the bow—had been removed. She couldn’t trace the boat that way.

  Which meant that was another dead-end.

  With nothing else to go on, Cassidy continued with her ice cream route, searching for a sign of Lydia as she hit the residential streets. She had no luck.

  After three hours in the truck, she pulled up to the Crazy Chefette for a bite to eat. As soon as she stepped inside, Lisa spotted her and waved her over.

  “Oh, hey, Cassidy. I was hoping I might run into you again.”

  Cassidy bypassed the hostess and walked right toward the bar against the far wall. Lisa met her halfway, wearing a lab coat and goggles—certainly living up to her image as the crazy scientist foodie. “Monster Mash” played on the overhead, and the scent of onions and vanilla wafted through the space.

  Cassidy could only imagine the combinations Lisa would come up with today.

  “What’s up?” she asked Lisa.

  “So I was asked to cater this event tomorrow, and I’m shorthanded. I was hoping you might be interested in helping out.”

  Cassidy? As a server? That did not sound like her speed. “I don’t know . . .”

  Lisa lowered her voice. “It’s for the friends of that man who died.”

  Now she had Cassidy’s attention. “Really?”

  “Yeah, they’re doing a little memorial for him, I guess.”

  She tried not to look too excited. “Interesting. I suppose I can help. If you really need me to. When did you say it was?”

  “Tomorrow at noon at a house here in town.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Lisa grinned. “Excellent. Give me your number before you leave, and I’ll text you the address. In the meantime, have a seat. Your meal today is on me.”

  “I won’t argue. I love free meals.”

  Cassidy spotted Mac talking to someone a few seats down and decided to sit beside them. The former police chief seemed interesting, like someone Cassidy would like to get to know better.

  However, he was deep in conversation with the person on the other side of him. When Cassidy lowered herself in her seat they hardly noticed her.

  “So you’re saying the time of death was wrong,” Mac said.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. That man died only thirty minutes after the boat launched.”

  Cassidy’s heart rate quickened. They were talking about Sarge.

  “If that’s the case, it wasn’t even stormy outside when the murder occurred,” Mac said.

  “Exactly.” The man Mac spoke with nodded with a touch of satisfaction in his gaze.

  Mac twirled the ice in his glass of tea. “So what do you think happened?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. I know you’re just itching to get involved.”

  “I’m proud to say I didn’t have any murders for the thirty years I was chief. Unless you count . . . well, never mind. We all know that wasn’t a murder.”

  “We know,” someone called from the other end of the counter. “What kind of chief were you if you didn’t have any crimes to investigate?”

  “There were no crimes because I imposed law and order.”

  The woman snickered. “Yeah, right. You imposed, all right. You imposed lots of good times here on the island.”

  “There are worse things.”

  Mac seemed to notice Cassidy just then and did a double take. He swiveled toward her, his expression warm and friendly. “If it isn’t the ice cream lady.”

  She raised a hand in acknowledgment. “The one and only.”

  “Don’t listen to that lady down there,” he said. “She’s the crazy one. The town was peaceful and full of good times because everyone knew better than to cross me.”

  “It would be like crossing Mister Rogers,” the woman yelled back.

  “That’s not Ernestine, is it?” Cassidy whispered. She remembered the woman who’d left her the cryptic note about Elsa. Cassidy had yet to meet her and figured it would be a memorable experience when she did.

  Mac shook his head. “Ernestine is on a sabbatical.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “It means she’s still in town, but she uses that as an excuse not to do anything she doesn’t want to do. Unless a new story idea comes along.”

  “Is she a reporter?”

  “She owns the Lantern Outlook. And, believe me, when you meet Ernestine, you’ll know it.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Cassidy, this is Clemson.” He pointed beside him to a man with yellowish-orange hair.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Clemson is the tow
n’s ME.”

  Now their conversation made sense. “Are you? How interesting. I’m surprised a town this small has a medical examiner.”

  “I watched a few YouTube videos to learn the ropes. It wasn’t that hard, and I figured someone needed to know.”

  YouTube videos? Cassidy tried not to show how appalled she felt.

  Then Clemson burst into laughter. “Just kidding. I’m also the town doctor. I get to pull double duty.”

  She let out a laugh—a weak one, but it was a laugh. “Of course.”

  As the men began to banter with each other, Cassidy’s mind remained on what she’d overheard.

  The wrong time of death.

  What exactly did that mean?

  She wasn’t sure, but she was going to ponder this until something began making sense. Before she could, Elsa began singing her song from the parking lot.

  Chapter 25

  At one, Cassidy pulled up to Skye’s fruit and vegetable stand. Serena ran out to meet her, a wide smile on her face. Her wild, colorful outfit made Cassidy blanch. Purple leggings, a bright pink tunic, ponytail braids and a yellow headband.

  Yesterday she’d been wearing bland-colored linen and no makeup. What was up with the change in image?

  “I’m so excited,” Serena squealed as she climbed in the passenger side with the boundless energy of a puppy dog. “I could hardly sleep last night.”

  Cassidy had no idea Serena would be so enthusiastic about selling ice cream.

  Skye flashed a grin from her position beneath the van stand. There was something behind that smile, though. A sense of relief? Trepidation? Cassidy wasn’t sure.

  “Have fun, you guys!” Skye raised an apple and then took a bite.

  Maybe Cassidy should have thought about this a little more before jumping in. It was too late now. Serena was here and ready.

  She shoved down those thoughts and turned to Serena. “Okay, let’s get started. I’ll give you a crash course on—”

  “Crash course?” Serena snickered. “Bad choice of words.”

  “How’s your driving record?” Cassidy was a cop. She should have checked that first. What was she thinking?

  “Excellent. It was just a joke.”

  Cassidy didn’t feel any better. “Okay, let me show you the ropes then.”