A Vacation to Die For

Book 14: Tourist Trap Mystery

by Lynn Cahoon

Genres: Culinary Cozy Mysteries; Mystery

Synopsis

In the California coastal town of South Cove, Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, discovers that wedding planning can be murder . . .



Hustling her fiancé off to a neighboring tourist town might be the only way Jill Gardner can plan her nuptials to South Cove's in-demand police detective. But when a mystery man turns up dead at South Cove's PD, Greg is hightailing it back home to investigate, leaving Jill to finish the vacation solo.



Jill can barely get in a spa day before her own respite is spoiled by a greedy hotel guest and unexpected revelations about Max Winter, the developer conniving to buy her home out from under her. Then there's the staffing issues at the store, the strange men seen lurking about town, and an aggressive and obnoxious family member harassing Jill's beloved employee. It's enough to make the bride-to-be full of jitters . . . especially when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer . . .

Release date: September 6, 2022

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Print pages: 208

Sample

Chapter 1

Mayor Marvin Baylor’s excitement made the tone of his voice rise even higher than his normal, birdlike chirp. In fact, the words came out to the business-to-business meeting as more like a squeal. I glanced over at Amy Newman-Cross, my best friend and typically the mayor whisperer, but she just shrugged. Even Bill Sullivan, the City Council chairman and owner of South Cove Bed and Breakfast, frowned. The mayor paused, leaving room for the words to sink in, but no one in the room had heard what he’d actually said.

Bill leaned forward. “I’m sorry, Marvin, but exactly what kind of business is considering moving into South Cove next year?”

Mayor Baylor glared at Bill. Anger dropped the tenor of his voice just a little. This time, the words were clear. “Like I just said, we’ve had interest from Coastal Investment Properties to do a mini hotel here in South Cove. One with an upscale restaurant. They’re all the rage in tourist areas. And all Max has to do is find a suitable property to build on.”

This time I got the glare from the mayor. Apparently, Max Winter, the sales rep from Coastal Investments, had informed the mayor I had no interest in selling my home. Even for the eight-figure sum the nice man in the expensive suit had offered the last time he sat down at the table with Greg and me. The money would be life changing and we wouldn’t have to worry about anything ever again. Except I’d have to buy a new place to live. South Cove property was expensive and hard to come by. And I liked walking to work. And I loved my house.

Greg and I had decided, as our first official decision as an engaged couple, that if we wanted to sell later, like in twenty years, we’d make the decision then. But for now, we loved where we lived. And it was my home. I shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for saying no, even if it meant the mayor wouldn’t have his mini hotel and upscale restaurant.

“Uh-oh.” Amy whispered. “It looks like you’re the fly in his cream pie.”

“Yep. His salesman came by the house again last week, thinking that if Greg heard the offer directly, he might make me accept the deal. But what they didn’t know is we’re both on the same page. We’re not selling.” I leaned toward her as I filled her in on my part of ruining the mayor’s latest expansion plans for South Cove. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the mayor. Well, I didn’t, but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was he kept trying to use my property as he courted new businesses to move to South Cove. Well, mine and Esmeralda’s house, which sat across the street. But she’d told the mayor to stop sending developers her way or she might do a fortune for him that had bad outcomes.

The mayor’s wife, Tina, believed in Esmeralda’s psychic talent, so she had put the kibosh on anyone approaching Esmeralda to sell again. Maybe I could ask our local psychic to convince Tina that my property was protected by the spirits as well. I’d chat with her the next time I saw her at the police station. Esmerelda was the part-time police dispatcher for Greg. Oh yeah, and Greg was also South Cove’s police detective. In any other town he’d be police chief, but the mayor didn’t want to give the title to him because it would come with a raise.

Greg didn’t care. He loved his job. And he loved me. So that was all I needed to know.

I tuned back into the discussion that had become a little heated as I tuned out. Bill stood and pointed at the mayor.

“You and your big ideas are going to bring in big companies and ruin South Cove. I’ve talked to your guy on this mini hotel. He’s a snake oil salesman. We don’t need some big hotel here. We have the Castle and several bed-and-breakfasts already fighting over the tourist trade. Bringing in a new, fancy hotel would put a lot of us out of business.” Bill shook his finger to emphasize his point. “Besides, Diamond Lille’s is already having issues finding staffing. You’re going to take away all her best employees.”

The mayor looked around the room for support. When no one joined his camp, he sighed. “Now Bill, I’m sure you and Mary could deal with a little competition in town. You know it’s the American way.”

“And so are free and open elections. I wonder how you’d do this October if a viable candidate decided to run against you for mayor. Maybe we need some new blood in City Hall as well.” Bill sat down, folding his arms. “It is the American way.”

“We don’t have to turn this thing ugly.” The mayor looked around the room frantically. I could see he was trying to add up the support Bill might have in a campaign. “Anyway, the company still needs a viable site to build on and because it’s my understanding that Miss Gardner had declined to sell, this might be a moot issue.”

Now everyone turned and looked my way.

“Don’t make me the bad guy. I don’t have a for-sale sign in my yard because I don’t want to sell. I like my house,” I explained, feeling the weight of the decision on my shoulders.

“But it’s a lot of money.” Tina Baylor, the mayor’s wife, stared at me like I had two heads. “Just think of the trips you and Greg could go on with that kind of money.”

“True, but I’d have to buy a new house. And getting him away from the station and work is close to impossible anyway. And you know he won’t quit his job just because we have money.” I glanced at the clock, praying for a lifeline that would get me out of the hot seat. “Besides, I’d have to find a babysitter for Emma and kick Toby out of the apartment. It’s just not going to happen. Anyway, looks like we’re at time to close the meeting. Does anyone else have new business before we do? Darla?”

Darla Taylor, the owner/manager of South Cove Winery and our local promotion mastermind, stood up and walked over to the podium, where the mayor was still gripping the microphone. She held out her hand. “Excuse me, can you move?”

“I’ll table this discussion until next meeting.” The mayor grabbed his papers and walked away, bumping Darla in the shoulder as he passed by.

“You could have said excuse me.” She stared at him.

Tina nudged him and he finally looked up. “Sorry to have bumped you.”

“Now was that so hard?” Darla went on with her discussion about the Fall Festival that was happening later that month. I was trying not to laugh and Mayor Baylor was sputtering. Finally, he got up and stood by the front door, waiting for the meeting to end. I loved it when someone besides me gave the mayor a hard time. But I worried that Darla and Bill might have caused his heart to rupture or something. The guy was so red, I wondered if he was even breathing. Mayor Baylor might be a tool, but he was our tool. And if we had to get a new mayor, it might take a while to train them and break them into the South Cove world.

Darla finished the meeting by reminding everyone that the new digital sign-up sheets for committees were set up at the City Hall website. “Please volunteer. The work you do helps us keep South Cove businesses alive and working together. Even in this challenging atmosphere.”

I hated it when Darla appealed to my community spirit. I figured I did my part by managing the cat circus that was the Business-to-Business meeting once a month. I wrote something in my notebook so Darla would think I was writing a reminder, but really, I was listing off dinner plans for the week and what I needed to get at the store. Greg was at a meeting in Bakerstown, so I was in charge of cooking tonight.

I had another task on my list: finish getting us packed for the long weekend trip we were taking. It was to a bed-and-breakfast my aunt Jackie and her husband, Harrold, had recommended just a few hours up the coast. The little town was supposed to be historic, and I was looking forward to the break. We were leaving tomorrow morning and not coming back until Monday. It would have been a week, but I had the Business-to-Business meeting and Greg had his training.

Darla was still answering questions when Max Winter walked into the shop and looked around. Mayor Baylor had returned to his seat at the table, but when he saw Max, he stood and hurried over. I guess he’d been told to come late in case people didn’t like the proposal. I’d say that was the case. Max and Marvin talked for a few seconds, then Max met my gaze. He smiled and tipped his hat and turned around and left. Most of the group hadn’t even seen him come into the shop.

I wondered what the mayor had in mind. The guy didn’t give up easily. And if the minihotel wasn’t going to be built on my land, I wondered who he’d talk into selling.

“Jill? Did you have anything else on the agenda? Or can we call it a day?” Darla called from the podium.

Josh Thomas raised his hand but didn’t wait to be acknowledged. “We didn’t talk about trash collection again. We need a second run after these festivals to keep South Cove from being overrun by rats.”

The table did a collective groan.

Josh stood and handed out a flyer. “This goes over the cost of adding a second run for the garbage trucks the day a festival ends. It figures in overtime and the cost of gas and wear and tear on the trucks. And, I’ve added a second page that describes the problem with rats in a small community like South Cove. If we don’t take this seriously, we’re going to wind up like New York City.”

“Thank you for the well-researched paper, Josh.” I handed mine to Amy. “But as we talked about last month, these items are more suited for the City Council meetings. We’re supposed to be focused on getting new customers and new businesses into South Cove. Not dealing with the utility issues.”

Bill Sullivan sighed and stood. “Jill’s right. You should petition the council to look into this. I’m sure Ms. Newman-Cross will be happy to set you up for a slot on the next meeting agenda.”

Josh nodded. “I’ll stop by City Hall this afternoon and get this set up. Thank you for taking this seriously. I’d hate for South Cove to fall into disrepair.” This time Josh shot me a look to kill as he sat down with the leftover leaflets. Like it was my fault this committee didn’t deal with his problems.

Darla looked around one more time. “Okay, then, is there any other new business for our group?”

Lille Stanley hurried into the shop, holding a paper over her head. She stopped in front of Mayor Baylor, who had almost made it back to his chair next to his wife. “Are you kidding me? Who was going to tell me that you’re setting up a new restaurant in South Cove? Upscale? We already have that with Tiny. He’s one of the best chefs on the coast.”

Mayor Baylor used his hands to pat down the air in front of him, like that would calm Lille. She was the owner/manager of Diamond Lille’s. The diner was the only place you could get a meal, unless you counted the treats I served with coffee as a meal or the limited selection of bar food the winery now served on weekends. “Now Lille, there isn’t anything formalized yet. We’ll be considering all options for the current businesses that might be affected by a new entry onto the food scene.”

“You’ll be considering options from your hospital bed.” Lille slammed down the paper on the table in front of the mayor. “You need to fix this or there will be consequences.”

She stormed out of the shop, knocking over a chair near the entrance as she went.

Amy quietly whistled. “Marvin’s having a bad day. I wonder what consequences Lille’s talking about.”

Whatever it was, I could see it had Marvin worried. He stood and addressed the group. “Sorry for Lille’s outburst. I know it’s hard to accept change and competition. I hope she sees the error in her thought process sooner rather than later. Max Winter will be coming to our next meeting to talk about the advantages of bringing in a new type of lodging and a five-star restaurant. As good as Tiny is, we all know he’s not a Michelin-star chef. Progress is good for the community.”

At that he spun on his heel and left the shop. His wife, Tina, followed in his footsteps. Usually, Tina was the one making the grand gestures. But this time the mayor was putting all his eggs in one basket. I hoped it worked out for him.

After the mayor and Tina left, Darla closed out the meeting. As we put the dining room back to normal, Darla came by and wiped off the table I’d just set in the corner with two chairs. “Marvin’s painted himself into a corner with this one. I wonder how much money he has invested in the project?”

I dropped the chair I’d just picked up on my foot. “He wouldn’t put his own money into a development, would he?”

“Rumor says he has several times.” Darla glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to go. Deliveries are coming to the winery this morning and Matt’s going to be swamped.”

I thought about what Darla had said as I finished setting up the dining room. Mayor Baylor was acting weirder than ever. And I needed to find out why.

Especially because I wasn’t going to give up my home just to make him feel better about a new South Cove business.

Chapter 2

The great thing about starting your vacation on a Wednesday? You don’t have the typical weekend visitors clogging up the area. Apple Valley was a sister tourist town to South Cove—just up the highway, still on the coast. We’d checked into the bed-and-breakfast and now we were walking hand in hand to find somewhere to eat dinner. I missed Emma, but she was with her favorite babysitter, Toby. I think he took her to work when he watched her. At least if he thought it was going to be a slow night. I hadn’t verified my theory with Greg because I didn’t want Toby to get in trouble for letting Emma ride shotgun in a police car, but I trusted Toby. As long as nothing happened to my dog.

“Jill? What about this place? I have a craving for Mexican food and I heard Bill say this place is the best in town.” We stood outside the Three Tequilas. Mariachi music flowed out of the small patio that looked like it had tables available. Greg pointed to the menu posted by the door. “The prices are reasonable. For coastal California, that is. My mom had a heart attack the first time she ordered food at Diamond Lille’s. She said I should be arresting Lille for charging over ten bucks for a soup and sandwich combo.”

“I guess we’re used to the prices now.” I glanced through the offerings. They served fish tacos, so I was happy with the choice. I just hoped they were as good as Tiny’s, or I’d be sad. “And I can have a margarita. I’m sold.”

He squeezed me before we went up to the hostess stand. “You can have more than one margarita. We’re on vacation.”

I liked the sound of that, but I knew if something big came up, we’d be heading back as soon as possible. The good thing was if Greg had a drink, as soon as possible would be the next day. Maybe I should just keep him drinking so we’d at least get a full day of vacation before we had to go back. I wondered what he thought about mimosas with breakfast.

“Dinner for two on the patio, please,” Greg said to the young lady at the hostess stand. She couldn’t have been over eighteen, but she flipped back her hair and gave Greg a seductive smile, ignoring me, the woman on his left with the rock on her engagement finger big enough to be seen by the Space Shuttle. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that big, but it wasn’t chicken feed either.

I clung to his arm, suddenly feeling a chill. What was wrong with me? I never let flirty waitresses get under my skin before. Greg was a good-looking man. These types of snide attacks were going to happen. There was just no need for me to react. Even if she still had her hands on an inappropriate spot. Greg held out the chair for me and I slipped in. I swear, the hostess almost sat down on my lap.

When she realized Greg wasn’t interested she backed off a little. “Your server will be right with you. Enjoy your evening.”

“So, what’s the plan for this week? Any chance we can find a sports bar and watch the game on Sunday?” He held up his hands to ward off the blows. When none came he smiled. “I’m only asking because the room doesn’t have a television.”

“That’s because it’s not supposed to be a place where you just stay in your room. I guess I could go find a spa while you’re watching your team play.” Greg didn’t get to watch a lot of sports, not when the town was as busy as South Cove. And it was his vacation too. “As long as we’ve already discussed and have a date and place for the wedding.”

He laid down his menu. “You should just have what you want. This is my last wedding, so maybe you should have something pretty.”

“Saying ‘make it pretty’ isn’t contributing. Sorry, Charlie, it’s time for you to have an opinion on the stuff.” I laid my menu down too.

“Well, either the two of you are quick deciders or there’s something amazing on the menu I haven’t heard about.” The waitress was at our table, her notepad out. She wore a traditional Mexican skirt with a white blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a bun. The look matched the atmosphere until she opened her mouth and the New York accent came out. “What can I get you?”

After we’d ordered I leaned back and studied the area. “I know you were talking about going somewhere different from our normal lives, but I love it here. I live on the coast because I want to be here. Of course we can do anything for the honeymoon, but I want something that says sunny California for the wedding.”

“Have you thought about having the wedding outside at one of the missions? I don’t know if any do outdoor weddings. Or maybe the Castle? But that might not be special enough.” He sipped the beer the waitress had just brought from the bar.

“Have you seen the gardens? Or the pool? Although maybe not the pool area because, well, you know.” I thought about the place where Greg’s best friend had been killed. Maybe we needed to have the wedding somewhere else. So many of the lovely places in South Cove had been murder sites or body dumps. I took a sip of my beer. “Maybe planning this wedding venue in South Cove was going to be harder than I thought. The Castle, the Winery, the beach, even that pretty forest cabin in Oregon, they’ve all had murder…issues.”

“Well, it’s not like the murderer in any of the cases is still at large.” He laughed as he squeezed my hand. “But I see your point. Which brings me back to having the wedding at a local mission. There’s got to be one nearby that doesn’t have a sordid past.”

“Well, bless my heart. What are the chances I’d run into the two of you here?” Max Winter stood at the edge of our table, smiling down at us.

My stomach clenched. It wasn’t that the developer was a bad guy, just one who cou. . .