Cliff Hanger

Book 5: Maggie McDonald Mystery

by Mary Feliz

Genres: Amateur Sleuth; Cozy Mystery; Female Sleuths

Synopsis

When a hang-gliding stranger is found fatally injured in the cliffs above Monterey Bay, the investigation into his death becomes a cluttered mess. Professional organizer Maggie McDonald must sort the clues to catch a coastal killer before her family becomes a target . . . Maggie has her work cut out for her helping Renée Alvarez organize her property management office. Though the condominium complex boasts a prime location on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, aging buildings and the high-maintenance tenants have Renée run ragged. But Maggie’s efforts are complicated when her sons attempt to rescue a badly injured man who crashed his ultra-light on the coastal cliffs. Despite their efforts to save him, the man dies. Maggie's family members become the prime suspects in a murder investigation and the target of a lawsuit. Her instincts say something’s out of place, but solving a murder won’t be easy. Maggie still needs to manage her business, the pushy press, and unwanted interest from criminal elements. Controlling chaos is her specialty, but with this killer’s crime wave, Maggie may be left hanging . . . “A skillful amateur detective with an impressive to-do list.” — Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, Address to Die For

Release date: July 16, 2019

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Print pages: 217

Sample

Acknowledgments

Thanks, as always, to my editors Martin Biro, Rebecca Cremonese, and Jennifer Fisher. And to everyone at Kensington and Lyrical, including those I’ve not yet met, who have worked to put Maggie’s stories into the hands of readers. And to everyone in Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, fantastic organizations of generous women and men who get it. And to my husband George, who, among all the many other wonders he brings to my life, holds everything together while I spend time with my imaginary friends in Orchard View.

As promised, I also need to thank Amanda Terry for her willingness to proofread nearly all the books in the series. Any errors that remain are mine and mine alone, but readers can thank Amanda for scouring out typos and keeping Maggie’s friend Elaine from cleaning her gutters on a daily basis.

Thanks to Michael. His expertise helps me confidently write about my tech-savvy characters. But again, it’s all on me when I veer from the possible by mistake or for the sake of the story.

For this book particularly, I’d like to thank the hardworking people of the resort that inspired Heron Beach. Their expertise, patience, and creativity assure the actual location is nothing like the fictional one, except in the unsurpassed setting they share on the shore of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). The team at the real Heron Beach do their best to keep residents and guests safe, comfortable, content, and able to spend as much time as possible experiencing one of the most amazing wildlife sanctuaries in the world.

I’d also like to thank those who work in all the federal, state, local, and private agencies that protect and explore the sanctuary and surrounding communities. Sometimes referred to as “The Serengeti of the Sea,” MBNMS protects more than six thousand square miles of ocean. Designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1992, the sanctuary aids in understanding, utilizing, restoring, and maintaining the preserve as a center for research, education, recreation, tourism, commercial fishing, and resource protection.

The preserve offers unique research opportunities in the form of a submarine canyon whose depth rivals that of the Grand Canyon and offers deep-water exploration opportunities just offshore. As engineering breakthroughs make it possible for scientists to explore more of the ocean floor, new species of plants and animals are discovered along with new information that expands our understanding of biology, ecology, acoustics, oceanography, geology, evolution, and many other fields, including space exploration.

I hope it will remain a rich environment for discovery and recreation for many generations. For more information about supporting, visiting, and exploring this amazing resource, visit https://montereybay.noaa.gov.

And finally, if you can read this book, please thank a teacher. If you were able to find this book, please thank a teacher, librarian, or bookstore owner. Without the members of all these professions, I would not be able to do what I do.

I remind readers that this is a work of fiction. I’ve taken great liberties in creating unique characters who are nothing like the honest and hardworking farmers, agricultural workers, young people, and law enforcement officers of Watsonville and the counties of Santa Cruz and Monterey.

Chapter 1

Packing for a vacation on the central California coast means packing for weather extremes. While the average temperature in June ranges from a comfortable sixty-five to seventy-five degrees, summer daytime temperatures can plummet to fifty degrees or climb into triple digits—sometimes within a 24-hour period. On a typical summer day you’re less likely to need your bikini than a warm coat.

From the Notebook of Maggie McDonald

Simplicity Itself Organizing Services

Monday, June 17, Late morning

“Mom, you sure those directions are right?” Fourteen-year-old Brian leaned over the back of the front seat. His sixteen-year-old white-knuckled brother David clutched the wheel and peered into the fog bank. “GPS says this road runs straight into the ocean.”

David lifted his foot from the accelerator and hovered it over the brake. The car slowed to a creep. “Seriously?” he said with a hint of panic in his voice. “I can’t see a thing. Let me know if your feet get wet and I’ll start backing up.”

“You’re doing great, David,” I said to my newly permitted driver. “Up here on the right, you’ll turn and take a narrow road out to the condos.”

“Narrower than this?” David’s voice squeaked a tiny bit as he tried to keep an eye on his mirrors, his speed, the fog-obscured road ahead, and the deep drainage ditches on either side of a road barely wide enough for two cars. The speed limit was 40 mph. The speedometer hugged 25. Luckily, there was no traffic on the rural road flanked by fields growing strawberries, artichokes, lettuce, and Brussels sprouts.

As we approached the turn, the fog lifted. David easily navigated the narrow bridge over the slough.

“Blue heron!” shouted Brian as one launched itself from a dead log partially submerged in the slough. With a few pumps of its massive wings, it disappeared behind the ridge separating the farmland from Monterey Bay.

I rolled down my window to appreciate the cool salt air. We’d left oven-like temperatures behind us when we’d left the Bay Area less than an hour earlier.

Our golden retriever Belle shoved her nose between the headrest and the window frame for a sniff. Santa Cruz County was home to some five hundred species of migratory and resident birds. She appeared to be smelling and identifying each one.

“Ultralight!” shouted Brian again, pointing out the back window.

“That hang-glider thing?” I asked, locating a lime green and shocking pink oversized kite that looked much like a committee had tried to reverse-engineer a dragonfly. It roared above us.

“They’re like hang gliders with engines,” Brian explained. “You don’t need a pilot’s license to operate them.”

“Don’t even think about it,” I said in response to the note of anticipatory glee in his voice. “Ultralight aviation is not included in our summer plans.”

“It could be…” Brian began.

“Nope. Not while I’m your mother.” I squinted at the aircraft. “Is it supposed to fly like that? All wobbly?” A sharp explosive sound echoed through the hills. “Or is there something wrong with the engine?”

David ended our discussion when he pulled the car onto the gravel shoulder immediately after we drove over a second small bridge. Flexing his hands and fingers, he turned to me. “Can you drive? That last bit was nuts.”

As we changed seats, I shivered. The condominium resort complex was only three miles from the nearby agricultural town of Watsonville, but I heard no cars or other sounds of people or civilization. Water lapping in the slough, the screech of a red-tailed hawk, and the crashing waves of the still unseen Pacific were the only sounds I could identify. A brisk wind coming from the ocean, refrigerated by the sixty-degree temperature of Monterey Bay made my summer outfit of shorts and a T-shirt seem ridiculous. I grabbed a sweatshirt off the back seat and put it on quickly before taking a deep breath and restarting the car.

There was no going back and no way I wanted to. The boys were looking forward to their summer vacation at a beach resort, days filled with surfing, skimboarding, hiking, and doing odd jobs. I was committed to helping the condo association management through a contentious transition. The new manager, Renée Alvarez, was a cousin of my best friend, Tess Olmos, who had vouched for Renée’s honesty and work ethic.

In exchange for the use of a condo and a small stipend, I would use my professional organizing superpowers to help. The plan was to organize office storage and files, and compile a history of the complex. If time allowed, we’d clear out a few neglected units whose owners had long since abandoned them, unable to sell them or keep up with the taxes, mortgages, and association fees following a market downturn.

It was an idyllic proposition, and I’d agreed to it readily. My husband Max planned to join us every weekend. During the week, he’d commute from our home in Orchard View to his engineering job in Santa Clara while juggling the supervision of several home-remodeling projects that would be easier for construction workers to tackle while the boys and I were out of town.

As we approached the visitor gate, the fog rolled back in, a gust of wind shook the car, and Belle growled. I shivered, but this time it was due to trepidation rather than the chill. I eased the car forward, fighting off the sudden sense that I was heading into unknown and possibly dangerous territory. I shook off the feeling. Nonsense. Just because a few of my recent jobs had led to serious trouble for my family and friends didn’t mean I was the professional organizer’s version of Typhoid Mary. Heebie-jeebies aside, I had every reason to believe we were starting our best family vacation ever.

“Good morning,” said the guard, leaning through the drive-up window.

“I’m Maggie McDonald,” I said. “Renée Alvarez is expecting us. She said she’d leave a key here in the office.”

The guard smiled. “Are you an owner?”

“No, no. I’m working for Renée and the homeowner association this summer. She’s giving us the use of a three-bedroom condo. She said she’d leave the key and information packet here for me.”

“I’m afraid that only owners are allowed to bring dogs, though I can recommend several good local kennels.”

Belle snorted, and I couldn’t have agreed with her more. Part of the attraction of taking this underpaid job was the prospect of allowing our golden retriever the freedom of swimming in the ocean and chasing waves, tennis balls, and birds she’d never come close to catching.

“I think Renée said she’d asked the association to make an exception. Is she available at the moment? We can check with her.”

A pickup truck pulled up behind me, and I became conscious of holding up traffic. The security guard must have felt the same way. “Tell you what. Pull your car around to the parking spaces. Maybe the boys can walk your dog while you and I straighten this out with Renée.”

I followed the instructions. Brian and David took turns holding Belle on a leash outside the building while I sorted out our accommodations. The guard, who had introduced himself as Vik Peterson, handed me a dog biscuit bigger than my hand. “You’ve got a beautiful pup there,” he said, nodding toward the door, outside which Belle sniffed bushes and barked at a rabbit. “Please give her this cookie with my apologies for the confusion. I’ll give Renée a ring.”

Again, I followed instructions, cheered by Vik’s upbeat demeanor and attentive customer service.

“What’s up, Mom?” Brian asked as I joined the boys outside. Belle snuffled my hand and took the biscuit. “Are they trying to cancel?”

“I don’t think so. The guard is calling Renée right now.”

“Should we phone Tess?” David asked. “She set this up, right?”

David was correct, as usual, but I wasn’t worried. “Working with a new client can be a bumpy road. If they didn’t have a few organizational problems, they wouldn’t need me, would they?”

I glanced into the guard station, and Vik waved. When I opened the door, he held up a key.

“I’ve got the key to your unit,” he said, looking triumphant. “I still haven’t reached Renée, though.” He glanced at his watch. “She’s usually the first one here, well before seven o’clock. But her chief lieutenant and head of maintenance says you can go ahead and get settled in.”

“Great! Thanks. And Belle?”

“Sorry, no. You wouldn’t believe the number of complaints I’d get if I admitted a visiting dog without Renée’s say-so.”

“I guess we could get groceries and come back, but if Belle doesn’t have access, it will sink the deal for me.”

“Dogs are welcome at the state beach down the road. You passed it on the way in. You could hang out there while you wait to hear from Renée.”

I thought for a moment, considering.

Vik barreled on as though I’d already approved the plan. “Do you have a cell number you can give me? I’ll get in touch as soon as I hear from her. I hope she’s okay. It isn’t like her to be even a few minutes late.”

“Do you know where she is? I was under the impression she spent more time on site here than she did at home.”

Vik checked his watch and frowned. “Could be anything. There’s a first time for everything.” He pushed a notepad and pen toward me.

I handed Vik my business card and thanked him again. We all climbed back into the car and were about to set off when Vik opened the office door and called out.

“Your unit is in Building F. Fourth building from the north end of the complex. It’s a short hike from the state beach if you want to check it out.”

I saluted and put the car in reverse. After a small false start, it looked like the tide was starting to turn on our adventure.

* * * *

The boys had changed into their wetsuits in the picnic area of the state beach. Now they were boogie boarding while Belle chased them and tried to catch waves in her teeth. I checked my phone and my watch. If I didn’t move I’d be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. I told the boys I’d walk down to the Heron Beach Resort property to check out our unit.

Brian and David had been thrilled when I told them they’d each have their own room for the summer. Our typical Spartan vacation budget meant they normally shared a tent or a room—with mixed results. When one wanted to sleep in, the other would be anticipating a dawn fishing trip. I’d enjoyed summers of overhearing laughter as they whispered to each other past lights-out. Rumbling older voices now conversed well into the night, replacing those early giggles. Mostly, they got along. But proximity also brought fights. Hurt feelings erupted regularly, particularly when they were tired. The three-bedroom condo was a luxury we’d all enjoy.

According to Tess, a third-floor ocean-view unit meant we’d wake up to share our breakfast with chance sightings of surfing dolphins, breaching whales, and playful seals and sea otters cavorting in the waves just steps from the building. It was my idea of paradise.

Wooden staircases over the dunes marked the beach-side entrance to each condo building, and I counted them off until I spotted the sign to Building F half-buried in the dune grass. I climbed the steps and looked for our unit. But when I took the stairs to the top level, the numbers were higher than I’d expected. I checked the key and the unit number again. There was no third-floor, ocean-view unit that matched the key Vik had given me.

I trudged down the stairs, discouraged. Had Vik handed me the wrong key? Had Renée misrepresented the promised accommodations? Had a problem developed that she’d neglected to warn me about? Until Renée surfaced, there was no way to know.

Still, while the third floor would have been a dream, all of the condos were steps from the beach and within earshot of the waves. Living on a lower level would make it easier to unload the car, bring groceries in and out, and keep up with Belle’s bathroom needs. I tried to stay positive.

I hunted the shaded lower floors for the apartment number and found it on ground level, where the view would offer beach grass instead of open water. Disappointed, I quickly tried to adjust my attitude. Beach access was beach access. And most of the time we were indoors we’d be asleep. On the first floor, I wouldn’t have to worry that the boys’ clomping feet would disturb downstairs neighbors.

But as I unlocked the deadbolt and pushed open the door, I feared we’d have to contend with something far worse than a second-rate view. The smell alone had me gagging, and that wasn’t the worst part.

Chapter 2

This tip is a bit of a stretch for a professional organizer, but as a mom, I celebrate the efficiency of wetsuits, pioneered locally to increase year-round ocean access. The Pacific in Northern California is bitingly cold. While wetsuits may seem pricey for vacationers, their value should be measured by the recreational time they allow. Rentals are sometimes available. One caveat: mashing small kids into wetsuits is a chore. For kids, buy wetsuits at least one size larger than what is likely to be suggested by surf-shop personnel.

From the Notebook of Maggie McDonald

Simplicity Itself Organizing Services

Monday, June 17, Early afternoon

A quick look round while holding my breath confirmed my initial impression. The now-empty condo had once housed a chain smoker and a slob. Flies circled plates half-filled with food. Untended garbage pails swarmed with maggots. The stench was overwhelming. Dust covered every surface. Piles of clothes or lengths of fabric lay jumbled at one end of a grubby sofa. Packages of fiber fill spilled from a cardboard box. Styrofoam balls and safety pins mingled with dust bunnies under the coffee table. Someone was a crafter, but this apartment was no vacation rental.

Based on the smell and my past experience, I hunted for a dead body. Relieved to discover that the flies were chowing down on a rotting hamburger, rather than a corpse, I left as quickly as I could. I sat on the steps facing the ocean, sucking in fresh salt air to clear my lungs and calm my breathing before phoning Renée.

Was this the last straw? It came close. The apartment didn’t meet expectations in any way. Not in size, location, or basic standards of cleanliness. If this dreadful condo was any indication, the rental association needed to attend a customer-service boot camp. Renée was in way over her head and the organization’s problems were more than I wanted to tackle.

I was surprised the neighbors hadn’t complained about the stench from the apartment’s rotting garbage. Or maybe other owners and visitors had protested and management had failed to respond. Renée still hadn’t phoned me back. No part of this situation made any sense, and I wondered how hard I wanted to work to untangle the mess. I had plenty of customers at home I could be working with.

I looked up and down the beach for Belle and the boys, wondering how I’d break the news to them that our summer plans had tanked.

I couldn’t spot them anywhere, but my cell phone chirped before I had a chance to wonder where they could have wandered.

“Mom!” Brian yelled when I answered the phone. “Call 9-1-1. We’re okay, but this guy is in bad shape…” He wheezed, struggling for breath.

“Are you and David okay? Who’s hurt?”

“Hurt doesn’t cover it. We need an ambulance. Maybe a helicopter. It’s that guy we saw with the ultralight. He crashed.”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know any of these landmarks. We’re up in the cliffs where it’s really steep, maybe half a mile north—towards Santa Cruz from the state park.”

“Are you near a lifeguard station? What can you see?”

“Mostly ocean and strawberry fields.”

“Did you try 9-1-1?”

“Of course,” said Brian. “I had a terrible connection. You may need to call on a landline. I don’t know if I got through. There was no voice response from their end. I told them everything I could anyway, in case they could hear me.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Call for help first, Mom. This guy”—His voice broke. “He may not make it.”

Brian ended the call before I could ask more questions. I dialed 9-1-1 and waited, wishing I knew whether Santa Cruz County 9-1-1 connected locally. Early on in the history of cellular phone use, emergency calls from mobiles were answered by a centralized dispatch system in Sacramento—two or three hours distant. All law enforcement operations had realized the problem with that scenario immediately, but I didn’t know whether changes had been made across the state.

“Santa Cruz County Sheriff,” the dispatcher said. “What is your emergency?”

I gave the deputy my name and location and asked if he’d received a call from Brian McDonald about a severely injured ultralight pilot who’d crashed on the cliffs near Sunset State Beach.

“Units are responding.”

“Is there anything else you need to know? My son asked me to call and follow up because he had a bad connection.”

“Can you pinpoint the location?”

“I’m not with them,” I explained. “My son said it’s very steep and first responders might need a helicopter to reach the injured man in the cliffs about half a mile north of Heron Beach”—

The telltale beat of rotor blades and turbines made it impossible to hear the dispatcher. I shouted into the phone anyway. “A chopper is here. Is it yours?”

The aircraft moved further away, and my hearing recovered.

“Ma’am?” said the voice on the other end of the phone.

“Sorry. Was that your helicopter? Did it spot my kids? The ultralight?”

“We’ve found it. A search and rescue team is on scene. They can reach the injured man with their climbing ropes and bring him up using pulleys. An ambulance is en route.”

“Thank you.” I assured the dispatcher I would join my boys as soon as I could and started jogging down the beach as we finished the call.

After a few hundred yards, I slowed to a walk, my heart pounding less from fear than from skipping too many workouts. I rounded an outcropping and spotted the bright nylon fabric of the ultralight’s wings caught in the sparse branches of a cypress tree that clung p. . .