Witches and Whatnots: An Izzy Cooper Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

“What’s going on Jeb?”
    He glanced up, not too surprised to see me. “Looks like we have another like Jason Robinson. You will probably want to call your boss in.”
    After sending out an urgent status text to Ayden, I boarded the Celia , which was nothing more than a small fishing vessel, but every boat had to have a name.
    “Who is it?” I peered over Jeb’s shoulder.
    “Looks like Keith West. This is his boat.”
    I wasn’t familiar with all the fishermen in the area, so I had to take Jeb’s word for it. Just like Jason Robinson, this victim was as dry as a raisin.
    “What’s the story?” I asked.
    Sighing, Jeb stood up and motioned for me to follow him back to the pier. “The coast guard found the Celia drifting. They got close enough to board, but then saw the body and decided to just tow her in.
    “And there was no one else on the boat?”
    Jeb shook his head. “Nope.”
    That didn’t make a bit of sense to me. How could you have a murder, without a murderer?
    “That can’t be right.” I shook my head. “Obviously someone else was on the boat at some point.”
    Jeb shrugged. “Maybe Keith was hailed by another boat while out on the water.”
    Just then Ayden approached us. “Is it the same MO?”
    Jeb and I nodded at the same time.
    “Except the victim was out on the water, apparently alone from what we can tell,” Jeb informed him.
    Ayden shook his head. “Not going to be the case. Someone was with him. The mystery here is how they managed to get off the boat and back to shore. People don’t get murdered unless there is a perp.”
    “Maybe we’re missing something. Is it possible this is some kind of illness, instead of a murder?” I suggested.
    Myron decided to chime in. “Nothing that I could find. I looked for every kind of disease and virus I could think of, even some that are not normally associated with people. I couldn’t find a thing wrong with the last victim, except he was just dried out.” Myron’s pale complexion was even more pronounced in the stark light of day. His black eyeliner was smudged, giving him more of a clown look, than the Goth look he was trying to achieve.
    Ayden’s mouth twisted all funny like, which meant he was sifting through it all, trying to come up with his own conclusion.
    He wouldn’t of course. Ayden was by the book, which meant he wouldn’t come up with a theory until we had more information.
    “Izzy, why don’t you find out who was working the port last night. Maybe they can give us an idea of when the victim went out, and if he had anyone with him.”
    “Okay … also, I have a couple other stops before I go into the office.” Lately, going into the office really meant stopping by there for an hour or so. I thought my boss was starting to catch on, which was probably why he’d had me stay and do research the day before.
    Nodding, Ayden boarded the Celia to check out the crime scene for himself.
     
    * * *
     
    The Mystique Port Authority was housed in a small white and blue building that had originally been a fisherman’s cottage.
    The receptionist looked up when I entered. “What’s going on out there?” Lila Jackson asked.
    I’d known Lila since high school. She was a nice girl, even if she did bleach her hair until it looked as if she were wearing a bunch of straw on her head.
    I contemplated lying, just so I could ease some of the fear I saw in her eyes, but changed my mind. “We found a possible homicide victim in his boat.”
    “Oh!” Her lips went into a big O shape. “Who is it?”
    I gave her a tolerant smile. “The victim was Keith West. The coast guard found the Celia adrift and Mister West deceased. Of course I’ll need you to keep this information to yourself until this can be confirmed, and his next of kin has been notified.”
    “Sure … I wasn’t trying to be nosey.”
    It was a lie. She totally meant to be nosey, but that was normal in Storm Cove. “Were you working when Mister West took his boat