The Inn at Holiday Bay: Evidence in the Espresso

Book 30: The Inn at Holiday Bay

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Amateur Sleuth; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Culinary Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

A cozy small-town Thanksgiving featuring a wedding, a cookoff, and a murder.

The Inn at Holiday Bay is a heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn't seem to convince to leave, and a new family she'd never be able to live without.

In book 30 in the series, Georgia and Tanner plan to finally tie the knot the same week that the television station Georgia works for sponsors a Thanksgiving themed cookoff. Georgia, Amy, and chefs from three other local restaurants are asked to be judges, which turns out to be a lot more of a commitment than any of them planned for. When one of the cameramen assigned to the weeklong event goes missing, his fiancé shows up to track him down.

 

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Release date: November 19, 2024

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Print pages: 179

Sample

Chapter 1

“The wedding’s off,” my best friend and co-worker, Georgia Carter, announced as she
stormed in through the back door of the inn I owned, and she operated with her dog, Ramos,
trailing behind her. I’d been sitting at the table drinking coffee and chatting with my friend and
full-time employee, Mylie Slater, while Mylie’s husband, Jeremy, took his niece, Annabelle
Cole, to school.
“Off?” Mylie asked as she softly patted her infant son, Danny, on the back when he started to
fuss.
I supposed the announcement shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. Georgia had changed
her mind about marrying her longtime boyfriend, Tanner Peyton, several times, but I truly
believed she would go through with it this time. “You changed your mind?” I asked.
Georgia frowned. “No, I didn’t change my mind, and it isn’t off permanently, but
unfortunately, we need to postpone it.”
“Why?” Mylie asked. “Is Tanner okay? He isn’t ill, is he?”
“Tanner’s fine. Well, maybe not fine, but he’s physically okay. The problem is Waylin
Flanders.”
“Waylin Flanders?” I asked as I desperately tried to figure out what Georgia was trying to tell
us.
Georgia didn’t answer right away. She paused long enough to hang her coat on the rack near
the door and grab a treat for Ramos. Georgia then instructed Ramos to go to his bed. Jeremy had
taken my dog, Molly, and Haven’s dog, Baxter, into town with him; otherwise, I would have
suggested that Georgia drop Ramos off in the cottage as she usually did.
Once Ramos was settled, Georgia took a deep breath and slowly blew it out, I assumed as a
way of calming herself down a little. “Waylin Flanders is the recipient of one of Tanner’s seeing

eye dogs. Apparently, the dog became confused while walking on a busy street in San Francisco
and led the man out into traffic.”
“Oh no,” Mylie gasped. “Is he okay?”
“Amazingly, both the man and the dog are fine. Tanner said that Waylin did receive a broken
arm, as well as a few cuts and bruises. He complained of a headache and dizziness, so he spent a
few nights in the hospital as a precaution, but thankfully, he came through the experience free of
life-threatening injuries. The dog, who likewise was banged up a little bit but wasn’t seriously
injured, has been quarantined for an unspecified amount of time.”
“I’m happy to hear that both the man and the dog escaped serious injury,” Mylie said.
Georgia poured herself a mug of coffee.
“I’m also happy to hear that the man and the dog are both going to be okay,” I seconded
Mylie’s sentiment. “But I’m having a hard time figuring out what this has to do with your
wedding.” I didn’t want to be insensitive, but I was feeling a bit confused by this point.
“Waylin Flanders is suing Tanner,” Georgia responded to me. “His attorney, a man named
Eagan Mason, is trying to pin the accident on faulty training on Tanner’s part. Tanner said that
Mason is not only trying to prove negligence on his part for this specific accident but is
suggesting that Tanner’s entire program should be shut down. Should this individual prevail in
court, Tanner’s assets could be completely depleted, and his reputation as a trainer might suffer
irreparable harm.”
I had to admit the situation sounded quite serious.
Georgia continued. “Tanner’s attorney, a man named Trey Bralon, called last night and
suggested to Tanner that he be present for a meeting he’d set up with Flanders and his attorney.
The meeting is scheduled for nine a.m. on Monday morning. As I mentioned, since the man who
was injured in the accident lives in San Francisco, that’s where the meeting is set to be held.
Tanner is flying out today, so he can meet with Trey and talk strategy. In fact, he already left to
head to the airport.”
I got up and offered Georgia a hug. “I’m so sorry. This must be very stressful for both you
and Tanner.”
“It is. And while there’s never a good time for something like this to happen, it does seem
that the timing is about as bad as it can be.” She picked up her cell phone and just stared at the
face. “I need to call Shelby.” She referred to our good friend, Shelby Morris, who’d offered her
estate as a venue for the wedding. “She’s gone to so much trouble to prepare her home and
property for Sunday. I hate to cancel on her, but I don’t have a choice. And I need to call Marnie
and Cricket and have them cancel the flowers. And Amy. I need to call Amy and tell her to
cancel the food.”
Marnie and Cricket Abernathy owned a flower shop named All About Bluebells, and Amy
Hogan was head chef and part owner of the Bistro at Holiday Bay.
I placed a hand on Georgia’s. “Take a breath. Given the circumstances, everyone will
understand why postponing the wedding is necessary.”
“I feel so bad that everyone has gone to so much trouble to make things nice for Tanner and
me despite the short notice.” She leaned against the wall as if she could no longer support her

weight. “Tanner was so upset when he left. If, after an investigation into the accident, it’s
determined that the reason for the dog walking his handler out into traffic was due to a problem
with his training, Tanner might be in real trouble.”
“Tanner’s a professional,” Mylie offered. “He’s trained hundreds of dogs. I’m sure there must
have been underlying factors that prompted the dog to venture into traffic, which, at this time,
remain unknown.”
“I hope so.” Georgia blew out a long breath. “Tanner told me not to worry. He told me he’d
handle things. And I trust him, but I don’t see how I’m not supposed to worry.”
“Of course, you’re worried,” I said. “Anyone would be in your situation, but having said that,
I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help Tanner other than handle things here at home so
he can focus on things on his end.”
Georgia took several deep breaths. “You’re right. Tanner asked me to take care of postponing
the wedding, and that’s what I plan to do.”
“Let’s take a minute to regroup, and then I’ll help you with the calls,” I offered.
I tried to maintain a positive attitude as I helped Georgia unwind the plans for the wedding
she’d thrown together in the last two weeks. When she’d first told me she planned to wed her
longtime boyfriend during the brief period between Halloween and the big cookoff event she was
hosting the second weekend of November for her cable television show Cooking with Georgia, I
questioned her timing. But she’d worked hard and had managed to get everything lined up, only
to have to spend the day undoing what she’d worked so hard to put into place.
The poor thing must be so frustrated. And scared. Frustrated about the abrupt change in plans
and scared that Tanner might not get out of this okay. Dog training was Tanner’s life. He worked
hard and built a reputation for being one of the best in the industry. He’d matched hundreds of
service dogs, including seeing eye, search and rescue, comfort, and therapy dogs, with those in
need regardless of their ability to pay. He was a good guy who’d helped many people live fuller
lives. If he lost it all at this point, I wasn’t sure how he would recover from the heartache.
“I guess we’ve done what we can,” Georgia said after the last person on the list we’d created
had been contacted.
I reached in once again for a hug. “I really am sorry, but I’m sure this will all turn out okay.
We both know that whatever occurred that would cause the dog to walk out into traffic can be
explained by something other than trainer error.”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I know Tanner didn’t do anything wrong, but so much is at stake, I
can’t help but worry.”
“I know.”
“I think I’m going to start the baking,” Georgia announced. “Baking always relaxes me.”
Funny, baking had the exact opposite effect on me. “And I’m going to head back to the
cottage and take over baby duty from Bailey so she can help Haven with the rooms. We have a
full house this weekend, so it’s best to keep up with things.”
“I agree, and I’ll be fine. Actually, focusing on the work to be done here will help.”

As I was walking to the cottage, I noticed Jeremy pull into the drive, so rather than
continuing, I paused to wait for him to park and get out of his truck.
“Hey, Abby. Are you waiting for me?”
“I wasn’t, but I saw you pull up. I wanted to update you about a situation with Georgia and
Tanner before you run into her.”
“Is something wrong?”
I provided Jeremy with an abbreviated version of the story Georgia had shared with Mylie
and me.
“There’s no way the accident resulted from poor training,” Jeremy expressed the sentiment
Mylie and I had expressed after hearing Georgia’s story.
“I agree,” I said. “But based on what Georgia said, Tanner might be in serious trouble.
Georgia’s understandably on edge over this whole thing, so it might be wise to be mindful in her
presence.”
“Will do.” He turned and closed the door to his truck after helping Molly and Baxter down.
“And if there’s anything I can do to help, Georgia just needs to give me a holler.”
“I’m sure she knows we’re all here for her.”
“She does tend to be the independent sort.”
I smiled. “I guess that much is true.”
“Just to let you know before it slips my mind, I ran into Colt in the drop-off line.”
My boyfriend, Police Chief Colt Wilder, was legal guardian to his niece, Mackenzie Hudson,
and nephew, Tyler Hudson, and had inherited drop-off and pick-up duties from his parents,
who’d filled the role of custodial guardian until this past summer when Colt took over.
Jeremy continued. “He told me the middle school is getting a new principal beginning next
week.”
Jeremy’s niece, Annabelle, and Colt’s nephew, Tyler, were both in eighth grade and went to
the same school.
“What happened to Mr. Tindell?”
“Colt didn’t have all the details, but a group of parents went to the school board and made a
case that got him canned. Personally, I thought the guy was okay, a little disorganized, but he
seemed to care about the kids. It appears that there have been complaints about his leniency and
competency since the beginning, so the school board decided it was probably a good call to
replace him with someone tougher before things got out of control.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Since I don’t have children, I don’t keep up with local school politics,
but I hate to see someone lose their job. Lacy’s triplets are in seventh grade at the same school. I
wonder if she knows more about the situation.”
Jeremy shrugged. “She might. Lacy seems to be the sort to have the details anytime there’s
something to know. If she has more dirt and shares it with you, let me know.”
“I will.”

I called both dogs and then continued to the cottage. Bailey was waiting for me by the time I
arrived. She assured me that Hazel had been fed, changed, and put down for a nap. She handed
me the baby monitor and then headed to help Haven. With two babies on the property, it was
sometimes hard to free up Mylie and Bailey for as many hours as I needed them. Occasionally,
we would place both babies in one residence so that one adult could watch over both infants. The
situation was manageable until both babies decided to wake up and started crying
simultaneously.
After peeking in on Hazel to confirm that she was still asleep, I headed into my bedroom,
which also served as my office. I logged into my computer and pulled up the notes I’d been
working on for the writers’ retreat I planned to host with my good friend and bookstore owner,
Lou Prescott, this next January. Even though I’d previously hosted and attended writers’ retreats
and usually enjoyed them, I was even more excited about the event this year than usual due to
the location. Somehow, my agent had found a hunting lodge that closed during the winter and
was willing to allow us to lease the place for our retreat. In terms of location, it was isolated, but
in terms of accommodations, it appeared to be very nice.
I’d been working for about two hours when Baxter raised his head and started to growl.
“Abby, are you here?” Tanner’s sister, Nikki Peyton, called out after letting herself into the
cottage.
I assured Baxter that it was just Nikki and he didn’t need to release his inner guard dog, and
then I hurried out of my bedroom. “Shh. Keep it down; Hazel is sleeping.”
Nikki put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she said in a tone barely above a whisper. “I forgot
about the baby.” She looked toward the closed bedroom door. “Shouldn’t the door be open in
case she cries out?”
“I have the baby monitor on, and I can hear her if she cries. I tried leaving the door open
early on, but Rufus has decided that his favorite place to sleep is in the crib with Hazel, so we’re
keeping the door closed and the cat out until she gets older.”
“Is Bailey here?” Nikki asked as Baxter trotted over to say hi.
“She’s helping Haven with the rooms. Is there something I can do for you?” I figured she
must have had a reason to stop by in the first place. Nikki spent a lot of time hanging out with
Haven and Bailey at the inn, but when she’d come in through the door, she’d called out to me
and not Bailey, so I could only assume it was me she was here to talk to.
“I guess you heard about Tanner.”
“I did. Georgia filled me in. I feel so bad for him. He must be devastated.”
“I’m sure he is,” Nikki agreed as she leaned over to pick up my little dog, Molly. “Tanner
loves those dogs, and he takes pride in his work. To be accused of negligence that led to an
accident with the potential to result in death must be devastating. I really am worried about him.
Georgia, too. I want to help if I can, but honestly, I don’t know what to do. I thought about it
quite a lot this morning and finally decided to talk to you. You always seem to have the
answers.”
“Have a seat.” I motioned for the sofa. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine, but thank you. So what do you think? Is there anything I can do to help?”

I sat down next to Nikki. “I’m honestly not sure. Georgia, Mylie, and I called and spoke to
everyone who needed to be notified about the change in plans concerning the wedding. Amy
assured Georgia she could use the food she’d already picked up for the wedding in the Bistro,
and Marnie and Cricket hadn’t put the bouquets together yet, so they were merely going to
repurpose the flowers they’d ordered in the seasonal bouquets they sell as centerpieces. Shelby
hadn’t done much to prepare for the wedding, so she didn’t need to do much to unwind her plans.
She also indicated that she’d let everyone at the Bistro know that the event had been postponed.
Mylie and I both made a lot of calls and asked those we spoke to to share the news with those in
their circle. In regards to the actual postponement of the wedding ceremony, I think we’re good.
Having said that, I suspect Georgia will need all the support she can get. Not only is she worried
about Tanner, but she has the big prime-time cookoff special next week. I realize she frequently
hosts televised specials, but this one surpasses all her previous endeavors in scale and
significance. I suspect that even without the situation with Tanner playing in the background,
she’s going to be pretty stressed out.”
“So we all need to be there for her. The whole family.”
“Exactly. We’re booked solid this weekend, but most everyone will be checking out on either
Sunday or Monday, so I should have time to help with the cookoff. Amy is already on board to
help Georgia next week as well. I also spoke to Shelby, who said she’ll be around as much as her
schedule allows. Mylie, Haven, and Bailey will hold down the fort here. Of course, with two
babies to take care of, along with the smattering of guests who will check in during the week, I
think they’ll already have their hands full.”
“Jeremy will be here. Right? You didn’t mention him.”
“He will be. And I’m confident that, one way or the other, he’ll ensure that everything is seen
to.”
Nikki smiled. “Jeremy’s a good guy. When I first met Nick, I remember thinking he seemed
like the sort of man you could depend on. Like Jeremy.”
“You did find yourself a good guy,” I said.
Nikki grinned. “I’m not sure what Nick’s week looks like, but I’ll talk to him about pitching
in if we need him.”
“I spoke to Lacy, and she’s on board to help where she can,” I said. “Lonnie’s still working
on that big job he needs to complete by Thanksgiving, so Lacy won’t be able to count on him to
help out with the kids as much as he normally would, but I’m sure Lacy will do what she can
when the kids are in school.”
“Is Georgia here?”
“The last I saw of her, she was in the kitchen doing the baking.”
“Maybe I’ll head over and talk to her. Offer my support and let her know I’m here for her in
any way she needs.”
“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.” I looked down at the baby monitor. “It sounds as if Princess
Hazel is awake. Perhaps you can go and find Bailey while I get Hazel changed. You and I can
head to the inn and talk to Georgia while Bailey feeds her.”
“Okay. That sounds like a good plan.”

After Nikki left, I let myself into the bedroom. “Hey, sweetie.”
The baby stopped crying.
“I bet you’re hungry.” I bent over and gently lifted her from the crib. “Let’s get you changed
while Aunty Nikki finds your mama.”
The baby continued to stare at me as I laid her down on the changing table, unsnapped her
onesie, and slipped off her wet diaper. I confirmed that everything that needed to be clean and
dry was clean and dry, and then I slipped on a new diaper. Helping Bailey care for Hazel had
meant more to me than anyone would ever know. Out of a sense of self-preservation, I’d tried
not to focus on the hole that Johnathan had left in my life after he’d died, but having had the
opportunity to spend time with Hazel had me rethinking some of the decisions I’d made along
the way. I supposed it was too late to alter any of those decisions at this point, but having a baby
in my arms once again had me questioning whether I should have at least considered having
another one of my own.
When Nikki returned to the cottage with Bailey, Hazel was clean, dry, happy, and ready to
eat. I left Bailey feeding Hazel, and then Nikki and I headed toward the inn.
“Hazel sure is cute,” Nikki said as we walked across the grounds.
“She really is an exceptional baby.”
“And she’s doing well. Right?”
I answered. “Yes. Hazel seems to be content and alert, and according to the pediatrician,
she’s gained a healthy amount of weight for her age.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. I was worried about Bailey when she first arrived here at the inn.
She seemed too young to be a mother, and I worried she wouldn’t be up to the responsibility, but
I’m happy to say that she seems to have settled into her role just fine.”
“She has,” I agreed.
Of course, Nikki didn’t know that there were still a lot of details to work through. Bailey was
adamant about keeping her connection to Hazel a secret from the outside world, so while Bailey
and I acted as caregivers to the infant, I was listed as Hazel’s custodial caregiver on the birth
certificate, and Hazel’s last name was listed as Sullivan. It simply said unknown where the
father’s name should go, and our friend, Sydney Whitmore, of the FBI, had the name of the
biological mother sealed. I still hoped that Bailey would feel safe enough to give her baby her
last name at some point. It was a complicated situation without an easy answer, but between
Colt, Sydney, and me, we were looking for a solution that would free Bailey from her mother
without putting her baby at risk.
When I walked in with Nikki, Georgia smiled. She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and came
around the corner to give Nikki a hug. Once Georgia and Tanner were finally hitched, I guessed
the friends would be sisters or at least sisters-in-law.
“I guess you heard,” Georgia said to Nikki, handing the young woman a cup of freshly
brewed coffee.
“I heard. Tanner called me from the airport while he was waiting to board. There is no way
Tanner did anything wrong. There has to be more going on.”

“I agree,” Georgia said. “I feel really helpless and wish I could be with him, but he said it
would be better if I stayed, especially with the wedding to unwind and the cookoff to prepare for.
I feel conflicted, but I know he’s right.”
“I don’t know what I can do to help, but you know I’m here for you.”
Georgia smiled. “I know. And I appreciate that.” Georgia crossed the room to the oven and
peeked inside. She must have decided that whatever she was baking needed more time since she
shut the door and walked away. “I don’t suppose you know anything about the attorney
representing Tanner in this case. I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard the name mentioned before.”
Nikki responded. “Tanner had a team of attorneys on his payroll when he lived in California.
Since the lawsuit was filed in California, I assume he decided to use someone from that team.”
“I forget Tanner had a life before Holiday Bay,” I said. “His lifestyle now seems like it must
be quite different than the lifestyle he had when he owned a tech firm worth millions of dollars.”
“Very different,” Nikki agreed. “But he hated the high-pressure rat race. He loves his dogs
and is much happier now than he was then.” Nikki slid onto a barstool. “I just hope he doesn’t
lose everything he worked for over a single incident.”
I couldn’t help but wonder about the accident victim. It sounded as if he’d suffered minor to
moderate injuries, and I could see why he might be upset if he actually thought the dog walked
him out into traffic for no reason, but to sue for millions of dollars seemed excessive. Actually, in
my mind, what really seemed excessive was the plaintiff’s assertion that any settlement brought
forward must include a statement specifying that Tanner’s entire operation be shut down, which
made it appear that the man had a personal vendetta to settle.
“I have the late shift at the Bistro tonight and tomorrow night, but I’m off Sunday and
Monday if you need help around here,” Nikki offered.
“I might just take you up on that. Not that we wouldn’t be able to cover things without you,
but I’m sure Haven and Bailey would appreciate the help.”
“I’m happy to pitch in,” Nikki said. “We’re family, and that’s what families do.”
Georgia hugged her again, and then Nikki headed toward the door.
After Nikki left, I slid onto the barstool she’d just vacated. I supposed I should check in with
the rest of my staff, and I would, but first, I wanted to see if I could do anything to help alleviate
the stress I was sure Georgia must be feeling. Sometimes, simply talking about mundane things
provided a distraction, so I asked about the guests we had checking in next week.
“As you know, this week has been booked solid, but next week is much more manageable.
All the rooms will be turned over this week. About half the guests will check out on Sunday, and
the other half plan to check out on Monday. We don’t have any new arrivals until Tuesday. At
this point, Jeremy plans to close the cottages for the season after our guests check out this
weekend, and so far, only three of the inn’s suites are booked.”
“This is usually a slow time of year.”
“It is. We only have an occasional reservation until Thanksgiving week, and then we’ll be
booked solid from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. I have my cookoff next week, so I
won’t be around much, but Jeremy and I have been coming up with a list of chores that need to

be attended to while we have so many empty rooms.” Georgia looked at the clock. “The baking
is done, and I figure that Tanner’s trainers should be at the house by now. Tanner has assured me
that they will attend to all the dogs’ needs, ensuring that I don’t need to worry about anything,
but I think I’d feel better about things if I spoke to them myself.”
“Sure. I understand that. I didn’t even think about the dogs. Will the trainers take care of
feeding and exercising them?”
“They will. Tanner told me he spoke to two of his guys who plan to stay in the cabins Tanner
provides for clients from out of the area.”
“Will it be weird for you to be on the property without Tanner?”
Georgia frowned. “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t stopped to think about it.”
“As you know, we’re pretty booked right now, or I’d offer you one of our cottages, but
Haven has an extra bedroom, and I’m sure she’d be happy to let you use it if you’d feel better
about being here amongst friends.”
“Maybe. I’ll think about it and let you know.”

Chapter 2

By Wednesday of the following week, things had settled down. I wouldn’t go so far as to say
they were fixed, but Tanner and his attorney had decided to take the offensive and had hired a
private investigator to take a deep dive into the accident. The guy seemed to know his stuff, and
he had connections. Not only had he uncovered eyewitnesses who hadn’t come forth to this
point, but he’d requested and been granted access to video coverage taken by traffic cams in the
area.
Tanner’s attorney seemed to think that the push for the cash and the dissolution of Tanner’s
business originated from Eagan Mason and not Waylin Flanders. In fact, it was Tanner’s opinion
that Waylin likely regretted getting mixed up with Mason in the first place, but now that he was
into it, he wasn’t sure how to get out. I was uncertain what might have occurred that resulted in
the injuries suffered by both the dog and the dog’s handler, but I knew that it had to be something
other than faulty training. Tanner was very picky about his dogs. He took his time and selected
only the best puppies to work with. Tanner took them in early and taught them to be aware of
their environment from an early age. Over the next two years, a team of men and women worked
with them, and when it was time for a dog to be placed with a handler, he made sure that the dog
and human were a good fit in terms of energy and personality.
Tanner never charged the men and women who received the dogs a single penny. He’d taken
the time to assemble a network of wealthy donors who covered the cost of training and housing
the dogs. Tanner was an affluent man in his own right and didn’t need to work another day if he
didn’t want to, but the work he did was something he enjoyed. It gave him meaning.
The team at the inn and I had gone out of our way to make Georgia comfortable and to
provide a support group for her. The family in cottage one, who had been scheduled to check out
on Sunday, decided to leave early due to an illness in the family, so my team got it cleaned, and
Georgia moved some of her stuff in that same day. She’d been there ever since. At this point, no
one knew when Tanner would be home. Georgia and Tanner spoke on the phone at least once a
day, and Tanner kept Georgia updated, but there was still too much that was unknown at this
point for any of us to even consider venturing a guess as to how this would all turn out.
“So, how many contestants are there?” I asked Georgia as she sorted through a pile of
nametags someone had left on a table.

“Five. Each contestant has an assistant, and the team is associated with a nonprofit group. I
think the main lure of this particular cookoff is that every nonprofit chosen to participate will be
given a donation of some amount. The higher you place in the rankings, the more money you
earn for your cause. The grand prize is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“Wow. That’s very generous. I assume Brad is footing the bill for the cash prizes.” Brad
Kingman owned the cable television station that filmed Cooking with Georgia and was a
billionaire who could more than afford to be extravagant.
“He is. He told the crew that the cookoff would be fun and help promote the station, but he
likely would have made the donations anyway.”
“So if the grand prize winner will receive a quarter of a million dollars for their cause, what
will the second-place winner receive?”
Georgia responded. “I think the second-place winner will receive a hundred and fifty
thousand dollars for their charity, the third-place winner will receive a hundred thousand, and the
fourth and fifth-place winners will each receive fifty thousand.”
“Win or lose, it sounds like a pretty good deal for the charities.”
Georgia smiled. “It does seem like a nice idea. If Brad’s only goal was to promote the station
and my show, he could have accomplished his task with a much smaller financial outlay, but it
seems obvious to me that Brad wanted to do a good thing. He wanted to give back. By featuring
cooks from nonprofit organizations, he’s providing a way to help them cushion the coffers and a
platform that allows them to bring awareness to their cause.”
I loved the theme of giving back to the community as part of a Thanksgiving special. “Okay,
so who do we have competing?” I asked. I wasn’t officially involved in the cookoff, but I
planned to hang out as often as possible as a gesture of support for Georgia.
Georgia pointed toward the first of five tables arranged in the circle within the community
center. “Table one has been assigned to a local charity. Tawny Green from the Holiday Bay
Community Church hopes to take home the grand prize for her Loaves and Fishes program.”
I was familiar with the program. Every Monday and Thursday evening, the church offered a
free meal to anyone who showed up. A lot of the food was donated, but I was sure there were
still expenses involved in feeding a couple of hundred mouths twice a week. While most of the
regulars came from the homeless population, anyone was welcome, and many of our senior
citizens also showed up regularly. Of course, I had to root for the home team, but I was anxious
to hear who else might be participating.
“And table two?” I asked.
“Table two has been assigned to a man named Vic Compton. He’s the man in the gray pants
talking to Olivia near the judging area. Vic is here representing Halfway Home, a halfway house
in Portland. I’d never met Vic personally before today, but we did speak for a few minutes when
he arrived. He seems like a nice man. It’s my understanding that he works hard to ensure that the
men who come to live with him transition from prison into society as smoothly as possible.”
“That seems like a noble cause.”

“They all are,” Georgia assured me. “Brad wanted to make sure that all the contestants could
cook or had someone on staff who could cook, but he also wanted to confirm that all the charities
were worthy of the grand prize.”
“And the others?” I asked.
“Table three is assigned to Fawn Riverside. Fawn runs a youth program in Bangor. The Step-
Up program operates daily and provides food and organized activities to the youth in the area.”
“And table number four?”
“Carl Hutchinson,” Georgia answered. “Carl runs a soup kitchen in Lewiston, better known
as Kitchen Karma.”
“I’ve heard of that,” I said. “One of the local stations, I think it was Channel Four, did a
feature on Kitchen Karma a while back.”
“Carl has been making the rounds actively seeking publicity for his cause. He’s a very
dynamic sort of guy. You’ll need to make a point to stop and chat with him at some point.”
“I’ll do that. And table number five?”
“Grace Stanely. Grace is here on behalf of Food and a Friend. Food and a Friend is
substantially like the Meals on Wheels program, where volunteers take food to shut-ins daily.
Food and a Friend operates out of South Portland.”
I remembered the last cookoff I’d helped with a couple of years ago, where the contestants
were all professional chefs. In my opinion, that setup had led to nothing but backstabbing.
Maybe this group of contestants would get along better.
“I don’t envy the judges their job,” I said. “If I was in charge of choosing a winner, I’m afraid
I’d never be able to choose.”
“If you only look at the value to society of the charity each contestant runs, I would agree it
would be hard to choose. But if you base the rankings on food quality alone, I can guarantee that
some contestants will be better cooks than others.”
I took a moment to take in the energy of the room. It seemed like everyone was having a
good time at this point. I asked Georgia about the judges next.
“Well, there’s Amy and me, which you already know. The woman wearing the red apron is
Evette Gilmore from Jaspers on the Bay, and standing next to her, the man in the green shirt is
Mark Keegan. Mark is the head chef at the Lobster House. I haven’t seen him yet, but Luke Page
from Renfield’s will also serve as a judge.”
“I’m impressed. Your station has done a good job coordinating this event.”
Georgia nodded. “I agree. Everyone has worked really hard on this. I need to go and check in
with Olivia. Are you okay for a minute?”
“Sure. I’m fine.” I knew that Olivia Rothwood was this project’s director. Georgia seemed to
like her, but I’d never met her. A few familiar faces were amongst the crew currently rushing
around setting up. I’d previously met one of the cameramen named Lenny, who’d filmed a
couple of the episodes out at the inn, and there was an electrician named Fernando, who I’d
spoken to a time or two.

“Hey, Abby,” a young woman I remembered was named Kimmy greeted.
“Kimmy. How nice to see you again.” I remembered that Kimmy worked as an assistant who
managed a broad range of responsibilities. She mostly worked for the director, but if someone
else asked her to do something and Kimmy and had time, she would do whatever was asked of
her.
“I saw you standing by yourself and wondered if you were looking for someone.”
“Not really,” I responded. “I’m with Georgia, but she had to go and check in with Olivia. She
told me to wait, so I was waiting.”
“Do you want a bottle of water while you wait? We have either flat or sparkling.”
“Sparkling would be nice.”
She smiled. “Great. Come with me, and I’ll show you where they’re setting up the grub
table.”
“There sure is a lot going on,” I said as we walked across the large room. “I wasn’t actually
expecting everyone to be here today since Georgia only mentioned that she’d need to be here to
do the promo shots.”
“Everyone is setting up, which is why there is so much scurrying around.”
I looked around the room at the assembly of people setting up cameras, lights, and other
electrical equipment. In addition to the filming equipment, five kitchens were being set up before
me, each outfitted with ovens, stovetops, and all the gadgets one would expect to find in a
commercial kitchen.
“It looks as if you have an entire beauty shop set up in addition to the kitchens,” I said.
Kimmy paused and looked toward an area designated for hair and makeup. “Everyone wants
to look their best on TV.”
In addition to two barber-style chairs, there were tables with every sort of makeup imaginable
and hair supplies, including wigs, extensions, and even toupees. I couldn’t help but wonder if the
hairpieces would be used on a show such as the one being filmed here this week. It seemed
unlikely, but I supposed the hair and makeup staff had standard supplies they kept on hand for all
their shoots.
Once Kimmy had shown me to the food and beverage table, she asked me if I needed
anything else and then scrambled away. I paused to take in the activity around me. I had to admit
that the energy in the room was invigorating. I didn’t have the type of personality to want to be
on the screen, but hanging out behind the scenes was a blast.
“Excuse me,” a man I was sure I’d met before said from behind me.
“Gus? Is that right?” I asked.
“It is. Have we met?”
“I own the Inn at Holiday Bay. I’m not sure we’ve ever spoken to each other, but I tend to
lurk when the crew is filming the Cooking with Georgia specials there.”
“Of course. I didn’t recognize you right off. Abby, right?”

I nodded. “That’s right. Abby Sullivan.” I looked at the extension cord the man held. “Do
you need help with something?”
“When I saw you standing here, I thought you were here with the crew, and I was going to
ask you to go and find me a longer cord.”
“I can look for one,” I said. “I’m just waiting for Georgia, so I’m not busy. What size do you
need?”
“A hundred-foot cord should do it. Do you know Fernando?”
“I do know Fernando.”
“I think he’s outside in the van. If you can track him down, he should be able to find a cord
that will work.”
“Okay,” I said, “I’ll get right on it.”
As Gus had indicated he would, Fernando found a long enough cord for me. When I returned
to give it to Gus, he was on his cell phone. He lifted one finger in a gesture to wait, and then he
said his goodbyes and turned his attention to me.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “That was my fiancée, Tiffany. She knows not to bother me while
I’m at work unless it’s a real emergency, but she’s spinning out since I’m out of town this week,
and we’re getting married in two weeks.”
“Congratulations. I can understand why your fiancée might be feeling a little uptight about
the fact that you needed to work on location so close to the big day. As I remember, there’s lots
to do those last two weeks.”
He blew out a breath. “I guess. In my opinion, I think that Tiff has gone way overboard with
the whole thing, but I’m trying to be supportive.”
“So she’s a little intense about the details.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “To be honest, Tiffany’s driving everyone crazy, obsessing
over details that seem insignificant to most, but she will be the mother of my children. I
understand this is important to her, so I’m trying to be patient.”
I offered the man what I hoped would be comforting words and then left to return to the
location where Georgia had told me to wait. She hadn’t returned, but Amy was here, chatting
with Kimmy.
“Hey, Abby,” Amy greeted. “Did you just get here?”
“No. I arrived with Georgia, but she got pulled away and asked me to wait. I was chatting
with Gus for a few minutes. Did you know that he’s getting married in two weeks?”
“I hadn’t heard,” Amy said. She, like me, knew Gus from the filming that took place at the
inn. “Good for him. I hope he and his new bride will be happy.”
Kimmy snorted.
I looked at Kimmy. “I take it you aren’t a fan of Gus and his plan to marry.”

“Gus has no business getting married. He’s a sleaze who likes to sleep around and doesn’t
care who he hurts. There is no way he’ll change his ways just because he puts a ring on some
girl’s finger.”
Based on the venom in her tone, it sounded as if Kimmy had personal experience with Gus
and his Casanova ways. I glanced at Amy. She raised a brow, but neither of us commented.
“I guess I should go and find Georgia,” I said. “She didn’t come looking for me, did she?”
“I haven’t seen her,” Amy said.
“She got a phone call and went outside to take it,” Kimmy informed me. “I don’t think she’s
come back in yet.”
I supposed the call might have been from Tanner. I couldn’t imagine anyone else she would
go outside to talk to.
Kimmy wandered away, and I turned my attention to Amy.
“Are there any updates on Tanner’s situation?” Amy asked.
“A few,” I answered. “I’m not sure how much you might already know, but the private
investigator hired by Tanner apparently found two witnesses Eagan Mason hadn’t previously
brought forward. According to these two witnesses, a kid on a skateboard brushed past Waylin
Flanders, bumping into him slightly. The contact didn’t knock him down or injure him, but it did
seem to startle him. In response, Waylin stepped forward and off the curb, most likely attempting
to evade the unseen danger without waiting for the dog’s signal that doing so was safe. Once
Waylin was in the street, the dog followed and tried to steer him back toward the sidewalk. Both
man and dog were hit by a car that was turning right before the dog was able to redirect the
man.”
“I would think that alone would be enough to clear Tanner.”
“Unfortunately, the attorney for the injured man has two witnesses willing to testify that a
boy on a skateboard was in the area but was nowhere near the dog or his handler. According to
these witnesses, the dog stepped off the curb and into traffic for no reason, and Waylin, trusting
the dog, followed him, and as a result, was struck by a car.”
“Both those scenarios can’t be right.”
“I agree,” I said to Amy. “There’s no way at this point to tell if the witnesses just saw things
differently or if one pair is lying while the other is telling the truth.”
“So I take it that Monday’s settlement meeting didn’t get them any closer to a resolution,”
Amy wondered.
“Apparently not. The arbitrator told both parties to try to work it out. If that doesn’t happen,
they’ll meet with the arbitrator again, who will decide whether there’s enough of a case to go to a
jury trial, which is what Waylin Flanders and his attorney are apparently after.”
“What a mess.” Amy offered a look of sympathy.
“It really is. The last time I spoke to Georgia about the situation, she assured me that Tanner
and his team are turning over every rock looking for the evidence they’ll need to prove that the
accident was caused by Waylin’s actions and not the dog’s actions.”

“And if they can’t find something that will prove that Waylin walked out into traffic ahead of
the dog?”
“Then it looks like they’ll go to court. Georgia said that Tanner’s attorney was worried that if
they are granted a jury trial, the jury will find the blind man a more sympathetic character than
the millionaire dog trainer.”
Amy frowned. “That doesn’t seem fair, but I guess I can see how the burden of proof is on
Tanner.”
The director for the cookoff special pulled Amy aside, so I decided to see if I could track
down Georgia. Kimmy had said she’d gone outside to take a call, so I decided to start there.
When I emerged from the building, I noticed Georgia sitting on a bench under a tree. It appeared
she was still on the phone, so I turned to head back inside when I was almost plowed down by
Vic Compton from Halfway Home. He paused long enough to offer me a brief apologetic look
before continuing. Based on the few words I’d overheard and the intensity of Vic’s dash to his
van, it appeared like Georgia wasn’t the only one dealing with a personal crisis. ...