Chapter One
Candlelight painted a soft glow along the intricate pattern of the tablecloth spread across the dining room table. Sliding glass doors beside the table revealed the sun setting across outstretched sand and a calm sea. The reflection of the reds and oranges was beautiful. Laughter filled the space between the front hallway and a large kitchen, occupied by two couples and a delicious meal.
“Do you remember the time that you thought the pipes in the basement had burst?” Paul North, in his faded T-shirt and blue jeans, grinned as he leaned back in his chair and looked across the table at Suzie Allen. “You were in quite a panic, certain that the whole house would be flooded.”
“It could have been!” Suzie crossed her arms over her emerald blouse and rolled her eyes as she looked away from him.
“It was a leak from the chest freezer.” Paul grinned. “But it was quite amusing to see you so flustered.”
“Suzie, flustered?” Mary Brent picked up her glass of wine. “I highly doubt that.”
“I’m not sure how else to describe her sloshing around that tiny puddle in rain boots.” Paul chuckled. “Don’t get mad, Suzie. You taught me exactly how strong you were plenty of times after that. I didn’t mind coming to the rescue that one time.”
“One time?” Suzie smiled as she met his eyes. “I think it’s been a few more times than that. But you’re right, when I first inherited Dune House, I was fairly certain that everything that could go wrong would go wrong, and I might have been a little highly strung.” She held up her finger and thumb less than an inch apart and grinned. “Just a little.”
“All I know is that you’ve turned this place into one of the most well-known B&Bs along the coast.” Mary raised her glass to her.
“We, Mary. We did that.” Suzie smiled as she clinked her glass against Mary’s. “With a little help from our friends.” She looked from Paul to Detective Wes Brown, seated beside him.
“It’s been a pleasure.” Wes touched his shoulder against Mary’s and smiled. “Who knew that you two would bring so much adventure into my life. Just when I was thinking of retiring.” He laughed.
“You can’t retire.” Suzie huffed. “What would Parish do without you? You’re a great detective.”
Parish was a larger town that bordered Garber.
“That may be true, but I’m slowing down these days. Maybe I’d like to spend the next part of my life on the beach with Mary instead of hunting down criminals.” Wes smiled. “What do you think about that?”
“I think we can spend at least the next week doing that. But much longer, and you’ll get bored.” Mary smiled.
“True,” Wes agreed.
“But I’m so glad we’ve decided to take a little vacation, well, staycation, for all of us to enjoy Dune House. I don’t think we’ve had a whole week off since we started accepting bookings.” Mary squeezed Wes’ hand. “It’s nice to be able to enjoy this wonderful place, and the beautiful beach, without having to worry about laundry or large meals. Not that I mind that, either, but a little break will be great.”
“Absolutely. It’s just what we need.” Suzie picked up her fork to take another bite of her steak. “I didn’t realize how busy we’ve been until I saw the calendar clear for the first time in months, and it felt so good. Both, to be busy and to have a break.”
“I know. Normally we’d spin into a panic over not having guests for a whole week, but lately business has been so good, we can afford to take a little time off.” Mary smiled. “I can’t wait to relax on the beach. It’s not often I get to actually just sit and waste a few hours in the sunshine.”
“And I’ll be right there beside you, with a bottle of wine.” Wes grinned as he held up his glass. “I can’t imagine a better way to spend a few days off.”
“We’re lucky, you know?” Suzie sipped her wine. “There’s not many people that have such flexible lives that can just decide to spend a few days with their favorite people. We may not be rich in traditional ways, but we are rich in others.”
“That’s for sure. I’d rather be rich this way than the kind of rich that causes my giant yacht to take up half of the harbor.” Paul rolled his eyes as he glanced in the direction of the dock. “You should see it over there. It’s a monstrosity.”
“Ah, the Billington?” Wes laughed. “He might as well have named it the Billionaire, that’s all people call it.”
“He claims it was named after his first dog. Who names a dog Billington?” Paul reached under the table and patted the top of a yellow Lab’s head. “Pilot is much better, right, pal?”
Pilot offered something between a bark and a growl.
“All right, all right, it’s a terrible name for a boat or a dog, but to be fair, with all the money he has, he can name whatever he owns whatever he wants,” Suzie said. “Who is going to stop him?”
“True.” Paul sat back in his chair and pursed his lips. “I’m going to spend as much of my time here as I can.”
“It’s Claude Corrington, right?” Mary stared at her phone. “That’s the name of the man who owns the Billington?”
“Yup, that’s it.” Paul clasped his hands together. “It was quite shocking when he arrived. We never get leisure yachts that size at the docks. Apparently, he hadn’t told anyone that he was coming. Maybe it wasn’t a planned trip. All of the other fishermen were either excited or angry, no in-between.”
“Why would they be angry?” Wes leaned forward. “Because of the security?”
“Because of the hassle. Fishermen are creatures of habit, and generally tend to be loners. Having to work around his presence has made things a bit frustrating for a few guys. But really, it’s more about being forced to stare at this huge boat, day in and day out, while they’re trying to patch up the holes in their own tiny vessels to make sure they can bring in another haul and survive another week. It’s not exactly the best thing for morale.” Paul tapped his fingertip against the table. “But the way I see it, that huge, fancy boat is just a reminder to me of the life I don’t want.”
“Oh, please.” Mary laughed. “You wouldn’t turn down a billion dollars if someone offered it. None of us would.”
“I know I wouldn’t.” Suzie grinned.
“Me neither.” Wes raised his eyebrows. “A lot of good could be done with that kind of money.”
“I already have my billion dollars.” Paul glanced at Suzie. “I love my life.”
“Me, too.” Suzie smiled.
The edge of the tablecloth flapped into the air as Pilot bolted out from under the table and rushed toward the front door. Loud, sharp barks poured out of him as his body took on a rigid stature.
The sudden alarm in his behavior sent Suzie to her feet.
“Pilot, what is it? Is someone at the door? I didn’t hear a knock?” Her heart pounded. Pilot didn’t often bark at the door, especially not with so much determination, as he had grown accustomed to the many guests who came and went from Dune House.
Mary stood up as well, her eyes wide.
“Something has him upset.”
“Let me check.” Paul stood up and walked toward the door.
Normally, Suzie would chastise him for taking on the protective role as if she and Mary hadn’t been operating a B&B on their own for quite some time. But something about Pilot’s behavior had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.
Wes stepped up behind Paul. His hand hovered near a holster hidden by his suit jacket.
Paul opened the door and gasped.
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