A Murderous Opening: A Northwest Cozy Mystery

Book 23: Northwest Cozy Mystery Series

by Dianne Harman

Genres: Craft & Hobby Cozy Mysteries; Animal Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

After months of work and worry, the time has finally come. It's opening night at Deelish, DeeDee's new restaurant on Bainbridge Island, a ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle. It's a huge success, that is, until a dead body is found in a car in the restaurant's parking lot.

When it turns out the deceased person was murdered, DeeDee feels she must be responsible in some way for the murders that always seem to happen when she's around. Her husband, Jake, a private investigator, decides he has to find the murderer to save her restaurant's reputation.

The murdered man had a history of lying to women and cheating on them, but finding out if one of these angry women murdered him is the problem. There are too many of them, and the more Jake finds out about the decedent, the more he begins to wonder if sometimes murder may be justified.

Jake's not sure it was one of these women, because it's becoming clear to him that there are other suspects as well, people who hated the murdered man and definitely wanted something bad to happen to him. And the last thing Jake expected was to be the one who would save the murderer from committing suicide.

Join Jake, DeeDee, and her right-hand helper, Susie, who's worried that her boyfriend problems may have caused the murder, in their search for the murderer.

This is the 19th book in the Northwest Cozy Mystery Series by a USA Today Bestselling Author.

Release date: January 30, 2022

Print pages: 194

Sample

CHAPTER ONE


When DeeDee woke up from a restful night’s sleep, her eyes fluttered open and she looked out the bedroom window. The sun was just starting to shine through the window as the clouds outside parted. An early morning rain shower had left a few gray clouds in the sky and now the dim light of the early morning was more muted than usual. Then she became aware of the silence coming from Jake’s side of the bed.

More than likely, he’d gotten up early and let her sleep in. DeeDee rolled onto her back and stretched luxuriously when she realized she had the whole bed to herself. Reaching her arms out, she stretched with everything she had, a yawn slipping out with it. She put her hand on Jake’s side of the bed and it felt cold, which told her that he’d been up for a while.

Staring at the ceiling, DeeDee laid in bed, feeling relaxed and fully rested. She’d managed to sleep soundly through the night, something that was rare the older she got, and it had felt amazing. Somewhere in the house, she could hear the dogs jumping around, eager to be fed. Their nails were clicking on the hardwood floor in anticipation of their morning meal, after which she knew they’d run and play outside. It was a part of their morning routine, something she took comfort in. First, they had a bathroom break, then breakfast, and then it was play time. She could have set her watch by it.

Rolling over and burying her face in Jake’s pillow, she inhaled deeply, his scent filling her nose. As she did, she felt a rush of excitement start to move through her body. She knew what day it was, even though it didn’t seem real. All that waiting she’d had to do was now finally over. DeeDee couldn’t believe the big day was almost here. Tomorrow would be the grand opening of her restaurant, Deelish. It was a dream she’d never thought she’d achieve, and now it was within her grasp. A reality, her reality.

Truthfully, part of her had thought that she’d never get this far. Whenever she imagined the grand opening of Deelish, she’d thought of it as a dream, something you could only obtain when you were asleep. It was one of those far off things you like to think about when you’re bored, but never really expect it to come to fruition.

She’d always thought some sort of problem or issue would crop up and the plans would fall apart. In a way, she’d expected to have an event or obstacle pop up that would make her dream stay just that, a dream. Like maybe her benefactor and the man who was financing the restaurant, Cooper Hudson, would lose a lot of money on one of his investments, and he wouldn’t be able to afford to complete the restaurant, or a storm would blow through and destroy the building. But now? Now it was so close she couldn’t help but admit to herself that it was really going to happen.

There was no way anything could stop the grand opening from happening tomorrow night. Cooper Hudson had told her everything was complete and all that needed to be done was bring her in to get her final approval of the restaurant. It would be her first time seeing it completely finished and she was excited to see it. Now it was time to move onto the next phase, the restaurant being open for business, and DeeDee couldn’t wait.

Releasing Jake’s pillow, she tossed the blankets back and slowly made her way out of bed, the cold floor beneath her warm feet cool enough to fully wake her up. Padding silently as she headed for the bathroom, she could hear Jake talking to the dogs and a smile spread across her face. She still couldn’t get enough of the low cadence of his voice. Something about it always made her giddy and filled her heart to the brim with love.

Shutting the bathroom door behind her with a barely audible click, DeeDee began her morning routine. She headed to the sink to wash her hands and then her face. She spritzed a little dry shampoo onto the roots of her hair before running a brush through it.

Leaving the bathroom, she headed in the direction of the sound made by dog claws scratching on the bare floor, as if both of the dogs were walking somewhere and then she heard the scrape of the back door opening. Just as she stepped into the kitchen, she saw the two huskies happily run out into the backyard. Balto was running around much faster than Yukon, acting as though staying inside all night had been too confining for him, and he was ready to be free. Which was true, even if he’d already been outside earlier to commune with nature.

Jake saw her out of the corner of his eye just as he closed the door behind the dogs. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said with a sly smile. “You’re looking absolutely amazing, as usual.” He moved closer to her and kissed her on her cheek.

DeeDee dipped her head slightly and smiled. She could feel a slight blush rising in her cheeks. She knew he couldn’t possibly be telling the truth, because absolutely no one looked good right after a night of sleep, but it still made her feel a little flustered. “You could have woken me up,” she said.

“Absolutely not. Today’s your last so-called ‘free day,’ so I was trying to let you sleep in. I wanted you to feel well rested and besides, you looked too peaceful to disturb.” He looked at the smartwatch on his wrist and then grimaced. “Uh-oh, time for me to go, or I’ll be late. Thankfully, Al’s picking up the coffee this morning.”

“Are you going to be at the office all day?” she asked. They’d talked about the possibility of him coming home early today, but he hadn’t been sure what his workload would be like. She was hoping it would be light. Very, very light. Unfortunately, though, he and Al were involved in a case that was a little less challenging than usual, but involved a lot more busy work, which had made it difficult for him to leave the office early.

“Probably, but if you need me, just give me a call,” he said as he leaned in to give her a kiss. Still, she was disappointed to know that he’d be gone all day. Jake smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m always only a phone call away.”

“I will,” she promised. “You better get going. Besides, I have to get ready before Cooper comes to pick me up to go to Deelish.” They’d meant to get together sooner, but Cooper Hudson was a very wealthy and busy entrepreneur and sometimes he had to postpone things. Unfortunately, he’d had to put off handing over the keys to DeeDee until the day before the grand opening. It wasn’t exactly what she would have preferred, but she was really just grateful there were even keys to be given to her.

“I bet you’re excited. Let me know how it goes! Love you,” Jake said as he rushed for the front door.

“Love you too,” she called back just before he shut the door behind him.

She paused and sighed as she looked out the back window at the dogs. “Well, I may as well get ready,” she said aloud.

A short time later she was dressed and shutting the door behind her, because Cooper’s SUV had pulled up in the driveway. It wasn’t the usual black one he drove everywhere, but instead, it was a deep, metallic blue, and it looked like it was new. DeeDee wondered if he’d bought a new SUV because she’d teased him a month or so ago for always being in black vehicles like an A-list celebrity. She smiled at the thought.

“Good morning,” Cooper said happily as she climbed in. His blonde hair was brushed away from his face, and he was wearing a navy blue suit with no tie. His collar was open, and he had sunglasses perched on top of his head. “Today’s the day, DeeDee! How does it feel to know you’re going to get the keys to your very own restaurant today?”

If she was being truthful, she’d tell him that her stomach had slowly been turning to lead that morning. What if she didn’t have what it took to run a restaurant? She knew she could successfully run her catering business, but this was something that was entirely different. Wasn’t it? “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Excited, of course, but I can’t help feeling a little…” She trailed off, not sure how to say exactly how she felt.

“Unprepared, nervous, and eager all at once?” Cooper filled in for her.

“All of that, yeah,” DeeDee said as she laughed nervously.

“Hey, first day jitters are normal even a day or so early, so don’t worry about it,” he said as the SUV pulled away from her house. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. This is going to go so smoothly you won’t believe it.”

DeeDee didn’t know how he could be so confident about it, but she didn’t want to be a downer. She did her best to cheer herself up. “I know,” she said, trying to sound just as confident as he did, instead of merely hopeful. “But that doesn’t help to calm my stomach down.” Her hand involuntarily moved to her belly where it felt as though it was flip-flopping all over her body.

“I understand,” he chuckled. “But you need to know that everything is lined up so it will all go perfectly. The word is out about Deelish, and people can’t wait to try your deelish food.” He gave her a wink at his joke, and she tried to force a smile.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be there tomorrow night. I have to catch a flight for a business meeting. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone, but I want to hear all about it when I get back.” He gave her a look that let his support show through. “It’s going to be fantastic.”

DeeDee nodded. “I’m taking your word on that.” Her voice quavered as she spoke, revealing the true extent of her nerves.

“My word is always right,” Cooper promised. “I’m surprised you don’t have your husband or one of your friends tagging along this morning to see the final results of the restaurant,” he pointed out.

“I almost did,” she said. “But then I decided I wanted to see it on my own. When I started Deelish, the catering business, it was just me with a dream, you know? Everyone else has come in after that. This is my milestone, mine alone. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. I wanted to be able to stand there and say to myself that I did this with no distractions, and that I’m the reason I’m here.”

It was something DeeDee had thought long and hard about. She’d wanted the other people who were important in her life to be there with her, but at the same time, this was her thing, and she wanted to experience it on her own. Was it so wrong to want this one little thing all to herself, at least for now? She didn’t think so.

Cooper seemed surprised by her answer. Finally, he said, “I admire that.”

They rode in silence for a while and DeeDee allowed herself to soak up the feeling currently flowing through her, a feeling she couldn’t quite put a name to. One more visit. One last time that she’d be seeing the restaurant this way. It was bittersweet. After tomorrow night, it would be different, she just knew it.

Sometime between now and then, it was no longer going to be a place that was being built. It was finished, and now the keys were essentially being handed over to her. What happened next was in her hands, almost literally. It was most certainly in her pots and pans and plates.

Cooper was still going to take care of the advertising and things like that, but it all depended on her and her menu. The food she cooked, the prices she charged, and the presentation of the final product. Everyone was counting on her and believing in her. She hoped she’d make them all proud, but more importantly, she hoped she’d make herself proud.

“Here we are,” Cooper said cheerfully and DeeDee slowly raised her eyes from where she’d zoned in on the dash of Cooper’s vehicle to look out the window.

The exterior of the building was square-shaped with a sign etched in copper hanging over the heavy wooden doors that led into the restaurant that read in bold handwritten script “Deelish.” She adored how the name looked with its loopy handwriting, making it seem like an original scrawl. DeeDee paused, and then blinked again. Maybe it was an original scrawl. “Wait, is that my handwriting?” she gasped.

“It is.” Cooper beamed as the SUV came to a stop, and they both leaned forward to look at it. “I hope you don’t mind that I changed it without your approval. It was a little something Jake and I teamed up to do. We thought it suited you, because it is, in fact, your handwriting.”

“Jake knows about this?” She gasped and Cooper nodded.

“Trust me, he’s been struggling to keep it a secret,” he said. “But I wanted you to see it this way. What do you think?”

DeeDee felt tears prick her eyes, as her vision started to blur. She blinked them back and said, “I love it.” And she meant it with her whole heart. She’d liked the font they’d used for her catering business, but this was better. Way better. It was far more personal and suited the authenticity of her restaurant so much more than the other sign had.

“Come on, let’s get a closer look.” Cooper smiled before climbing out of the vehicle, gesturing with his head for DeeDee to come with him.

DeeDee marveled at the beautiful landscaping. She’d asked that they keep it natural with native plants, hoping to bring in a more organic and homier feel as the customers walked into Deelish, and it appeared they’d done just that. The forest was nearby with Puget Sound behind the restaurant.

The location they’d picked was perfect. It looked as though Deelish belonged there, as if it had naturally sprouted up from the forest floor, just like the surrounding trees had done.

She found herself walking over to the plants and touching a few, marveling at how the landscapers had managed to get plants that looked mature and established. It had been a week or two since she’d driven by the restaurant, but there was no way the plants could have gotten this big, that fast.

“Ready to see the inside?” Cooper asked as he held up the keys.

As much as she was mesmerized by how amazing the outside had turned out, she was even more excited to see the inside. DeeDee looked over and a grin split her face. “Am I ever!” she replied, her eyes bright with joy. The outside couldn’t have turned out any better, and she had no doubt the inside would be the same.

She hurried over to the door where Cooper was sliding the key into the lock. “Welcome DeeDee, to your new restaurant,” he said as he turned the key and tugged the door open.

The entrance was amazing. Real trees framed it and just inside a solid wood podium stood front and center for use by the hostess. The ceiling was open, but everything else was in the same shade of matte black. Beautiful handblown glass lampshades, the product of a well-known glass artist in Seattle, hung over each of the tables, with each table looking as though it had been sliced from a tree and lacquered just that morning. The table edges still had bark on them and each one looked beautiful under its individual lamp.

The tables in the middle of the room were all round versions of the same thing, while the booths had longer, rectangular rough wood tables for larger families. Copper accents were everywhere, a beautiful contrast to the wood and the black ceiling, including the bar area which was next to the kitchen door.

“Well, what do you think?” Cooper asked.

DeeDee hadn’t realized she’d been standing there gaping at the room, barely breathing. For a long moment, she couldn’t speak. She knew as clear as day the answer she wanted to give to his question, but she was having trouble forming it on her tongue. She could only imagine what must have been going through Cooper’s head. She turned and faced him, a lone tear slipping down her cheek. She wiped it away and finally breathed, “I love it.”

Cooper grinned and opened his arms to her. She was so glad he’d become accustomed to her hugs, because she was positively vibrating with the need to hug him right then. Tightly.

“You did it,” he said softly as he embraced her. “You made this happen, all with that fabulous cooking of yours. Don’t ever forget it. This is all yours.” He released her and spun her around so that she faced the empty restaurant again.

“This is all mine,” she whispered to herself.

“You deserve it,” Cooper said from behind her, and DeeDee had to fight back the tears that were starting to battle their way back into her eyes.

She walked around Deelish, running her fingers along the rough bark on the edges of the tables, the smooth material of the booths. This was hers. And Cooper was right. She did deserve it. She’d worked for this for so long, had fought for it with every fiber of her being.

Yes, she thought, I deserve this.

If she could go back and tell the old DeeDee (or rather, the younger DeeDee) how far she’d come in just the last few years, she would. She’d do it just to let the old DeeDee know that the hope she’d held in her heart, the dreams she couldn’t keep from wanting with every bone in her body, weren’t a lost cause.

But then again, she never would have believed it several years ago. When she’d sold her house on Mercer Island, and packed up everything after her divorce, she’d thought her life was over. However, standing in the new Deelish restaurant, breathing in the air and knowing this was her place, she realized that a new journey in her life had just begun.