tea and headed to my office. I answered a few emails and sent one to Millie regarding suggestions I had on some upcoming placements we needed to fill. I spent a half hour working on a contract extension that I then emailed to Sam and Marla for finalization. With those things out of the way, I checked my private email account and found one from Shirley.
Alex, haven’t seen you in a couple of months. Why don’t we meet for coffee this morning at Oceanic in Pirates Cove about nine? Give a call if you can’t make it.
I looked at my watch. Pirates Cove was the next town over along the coast. I grabbed my purse and took my untouched cup of now-cooled tea out to the lobby and used it to water the plants. They love a bit of Earl Grey.
“Looks like Shirley came through, so I’m on my way to meet with her now,” I said to Millie. “If you need me—”
“Call?” Millie asked. “You never have your cell on. Go. We can handle everything here. Let us know how everything’s going,” she shouted as I left the office.
Chapter 10
Oceanic was one of those trendy coffee houses that people seem to flock to on weekends. This morning, a weekday, seemed no different. It had quite a few people sitting around with drinks and laptops open, but I was still able to find a pair of comfortable chairs in a corner with a small table between them. They were situated right next to the fireplace, which thankfully was not lit. It wasn’t even nine yet and the day was already muggy. I hated turning the air on at my house, but if this kept up, it was going on and staying on until September.
I’m a New Englander through and through, but I could do without our summers. I’m an autumn and winter gal, and when June rolls around I want to go into hibernation. Of course, June is also the month John and I married. Was it only a year ago? It seemed like we had been together forever. Meme was right. John was the one for me, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t make him suffer from time to time, and thinking my sister was capable of taking a life was certainly reason enough to bring him a bit of discomfort.
Before Sam had come into my office yesterday morning, I had been looking into a romantic getaway to the Cape, but until I got my sister off of the Indian Cove Police list of ten most wanted, any plans for a second honeymoon had to be put on hold.
I looked up from my iPad when I heard the door of the café open. Shirley Reynolds saw me and waved. She asked me what I would like and a few minutes later she put a large iced tea in front of me and one for her.
“It’s so good to see you. What’s it been? A couple of months at least,” Shirley said.
The last time I saw Shirley was when my friends from Belgium, Annie and Gerard Willix, were visiting. John and I had met them on our honeymoon when John got caught up in a murder investigation, and felt it only fair to return in kind. Shirley had helped Annie and me solve the murder of a man looking for his biological daughter, and I hadn’t seen her since, but at least we had kept in touch via email.
“I guess it takes a murder to get the two of us together,” I said, while I tore the paper off my straw and stuck it in the tea.
“Sad but true. We live such busy lives.”
I gave Shirley the once over. “I like what you’ve done with your hair.”
The last time I saw Shirley her brown hair was going gray. I thought it looked nice on her, but now where the gray had been, instead were some nice ash blond highlights.
Shirley blushed. “I met a guy. Nothing serious, but I thought I’d freshen up my look a bit.
“Well, good for you! Anyone I know?”
Shirley had been widowed at a young age and left alone to raise her children and take over her husband’s private detective business. Now in her early fifties, she deserved some fun.
“I met him through my late husband’s sister, if you can believe that. She thought all these years of mourning was long enough and fixed
Alex, haven’t seen you in a couple of months. Why don’t we meet for coffee this morning at Oceanic in Pirates Cove about nine? Give a call if you can’t make it.
I looked at my watch. Pirates Cove was the next town over along the coast. I grabbed my purse and took my untouched cup of now-cooled tea out to the lobby and used it to water the plants. They love a bit of Earl Grey.
“Looks like Shirley came through, so I’m on my way to meet with her now,” I said to Millie. “If you need me—”
“Call?” Millie asked. “You never have your cell on. Go. We can handle everything here. Let us know how everything’s going,” she shouted as I left the office.
Chapter 10
Oceanic was one of those trendy coffee houses that people seem to flock to on weekends. This morning, a weekday, seemed no different. It had quite a few people sitting around with drinks and laptops open, but I was still able to find a pair of comfortable chairs in a corner with a small table between them. They were situated right next to the fireplace, which thankfully was not lit. It wasn’t even nine yet and the day was already muggy. I hated turning the air on at my house, but if this kept up, it was going on and staying on until September.
I’m a New Englander through and through, but I could do without our summers. I’m an autumn and winter gal, and when June rolls around I want to go into hibernation. Of course, June is also the month John and I married. Was it only a year ago? It seemed like we had been together forever. Meme was right. John was the one for me, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t make him suffer from time to time, and thinking my sister was capable of taking a life was certainly reason enough to bring him a bit of discomfort.
Before Sam had come into my office yesterday morning, I had been looking into a romantic getaway to the Cape, but until I got my sister off of the Indian Cove Police list of ten most wanted, any plans for a second honeymoon had to be put on hold.
I looked up from my iPad when I heard the door of the café open. Shirley Reynolds saw me and waved. She asked me what I would like and a few minutes later she put a large iced tea in front of me and one for her.
“It’s so good to see you. What’s it been? A couple of months at least,” Shirley said.
The last time I saw Shirley was when my friends from Belgium, Annie and Gerard Willix, were visiting. John and I had met them on our honeymoon when John got caught up in a murder investigation, and felt it only fair to return in kind. Shirley had helped Annie and me solve the murder of a man looking for his biological daughter, and I hadn’t seen her since, but at least we had kept in touch via email.
“I guess it takes a murder to get the two of us together,” I said, while I tore the paper off my straw and stuck it in the tea.
“Sad but true. We live such busy lives.”
I gave Shirley the once over. “I like what you’ve done with your hair.”
The last time I saw Shirley her brown hair was going gray. I thought it looked nice on her, but now where the gray had been, instead were some nice ash blond highlights.
Shirley blushed. “I met a guy. Nothing serious, but I thought I’d freshen up my look a bit.
“Well, good for you! Anyone I know?”
Shirley had been widowed at a young age and left alone to raise her children and take over her husband’s private detective business. Now in her early fifties, she deserved some fun.
“I met him through my late husband’s sister, if you can believe that. She thought all these years of mourning was long enough and fixed
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