by Diane Capri
Early Check Out
BY
DIANE CAPRI
Presented By:
AugustBooks
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Praise for
New York Times and USA Today
Bestselling Author
Diane Capri
“Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too. Kim Otto is a great, great character. I love her.”
Lee Child, #1 World Wide Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers
“[A] welcome surprise… [W]orks from the first page to ‘The End’.”
Larry King
“Swift pacing and ongoing suspense are always present… [L]ikable protagonist who uses her political connections for a good cause…Readers should eagerly anticipate the next [book].”
Top Pick, Romantic Times
“…offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plot, and loads of Florida atmosphere. Recommended.”
Library Journal
“[A] fast-paced legal thriller…energetic prose…an appealing heroine…clever and capable supporting cast…[that will] keep readers waiting for the next [book].”
Publishers Weekly
“Expertise shines on every page.”
Margaret Maron
Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-Winning MWA Grand Master
Copyright © 2019 Diane Capri, LLC
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Early Check Out is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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eISBN: 978-1-942633-26-6
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Table of Contents
Reviews
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
More from Diane Capri
About the Author
Chapter 1
Dear Miss Charlotte,
As promised, I’m writing again to update you on my last week or so at the Park Hotel. I’m the concierge here now, my new job! I’m settling in nicely, and folks are starting to accept me as a “regular” fixture—almost. These things take time, I know, and it has been quite a change for all of us. But I’m feeling hopeful and positive these days.
I wish you could come for a visit. I know you’d love Frontenac Island as much as I do. Everything is so green and cheerful. The breeze off the lake is refreshing, and sometimes I just walk out onto the bluff and stare off across Lake Michigan. It’s so relaxing here.
I’ve met some of the most down-to-earth and charming people so far. Some folks are downright colorful and entertaining—I could tell you endless stories about JC and Reggie, the two old men who play chess down at the docks. Or the guys who own the soap shop in town—they make a lot of gift baskets and such for the hotel. I know you’d love Ginny, of course, and would probably get along well with her mother, Lois, who runs the hotel. She has your sensibilities and your work ethic, for sure.
Yes, I did hear from my mother. Of course, I told them I’d moved. They want me to come to Hong Kong, which I’m sure you’ve already guessed. I haven’t had a chance to connect with them yet, mostly because I’ve been so busy and the time difference makes things difficult. But don’t worry. I’m not moving halfway around the world!
Not everyone is pleased with me being here, especially not Ginny’s grandpa, Samuel, but you know me—I don’t let him bully me around. I plan on making this concierge gig work out. You always taught me to do my best no matter what. So, with your voice in my head, I’m putting everything I have into this job.
Oh, things got a little crazy here during my first week. You might have caught it on the news—but just in case you haven’t heard, I’m enclosing a few clippings from the local newspaper, so you can read the details for yourself. That’s mostly the reason Samuel is not so thrilled with me. He thinks I’ll ruin his hotel by sticking my nose into things I shouldn’t.
That’s all over and done with now, thank goodness. I hadn’t planned to get involved, but you know I can’t just sit back and do nothing when I can help. Still, I’m going to steer clear of trouble from now on. I’ve had enough to last me a lifetime. Let’s hope “trouble” leaves me alone! Ha ha.
I miss you, Miss Charlotte. Take care of all those nieces and nephews. They don’t know how lucky they are to have you bossing them around. They’ll be fine ladies and gentlemen one day because of you. I’m sure of it.
Oh! I have a business card now, and it’s also enclosed. I hope to hear from you soon.
All my love,
Andi
Chapter 2
I read the letter one last time, signed with a flourish, sealed the envelope and put a stamp on it. I’d drop it in the mailbox in the lobby. Writing to Miss Charlotte regularly kept her from worrying so much about me. The last thing I wanted was to worry Miss Charlotte. Which meant I didn’t tell her everything, the way I’d done when I was a kid. What she didn’t know couldn’t worry her, right?
So I downplayed the issues with my parents, which I’d been ignoring, and the problems I’d been having with Samuel Park, among other things. At that poi
nt, I didn’t even know I was going to find another body, but I certainly wouldn’t have mentioned that to Miss Charlotte, anyway.
For the past few days, I’d done my best to prove to Samuel, Ginny’s grandpa and owner of the Park Hotel, that I was suited to be the concierge. After his unexpected arrival at the family dinner—when he declared that his hotel was going down the crapper and I was somehow responsible for it—he’d been putting me through my paces.
Every single day, he told me several times, “Guests are kings at the Park Hotel, Andi.” Like he’d ever give me a chance to forget that, anyway.
He challenged me at every turn with outlandish tasks like filling an entire suite with balloon animals for a birthday party or organizing a wedding proposal with two goats as the bearers of the flowers and the engagement ring. He insisted that an excellent concierge should be able to handle any request as long as it wasn’t illegal, immoral, or impossible. “The Park Hotel offers extraordinary service, Andi. First, last, and always.”
I agreed, in theory. But I suspected that these particular requests didn’t actually come from guests but from Samuel’s box of one thousand fun ways to run me out of the Park Hotel.
On a daily basis, he told me that Casey Cushing, the former concierge, had been able to accomplish virtually anything, and without a single issue or complaint. He said Casey could do twice the work in less time. That Casey never asked for a single day off.
So far, Samuel hadn’t claimed that Casey Cushing could leap tall buildings in a single bound or was faster than a speeding bullet, but I figured those claims were coming. Maybe he was saving them for an upcoming round of attempting to make me feel weak and useless, as well as unwelcome at the Park.
I didn’t understand his constant barrage of “Casey is amazing” anecdotes until I found out that he and Casey’s mom—who’d undergone hip surgery recently—were old friends. When Ginny had told me, she’d rolled her eyes, so I assumed that meant maybe they were more than friends. Talk about robbing the cradle, though. I mean, Samuel was in his late seventies at least. And considering Casey’s age, his mom couldn’t be any older than early fifties.
Oh, and I also found out that Samuel had hired Casey to begin with. Of course he’d think Casey was the best thing since avocado toast.
Talk about pressure. How could I ever measure up to the amazing Casey? But I planned to give it my best.
So, this was what I was dealing with on top of the regular duties I’d been assigned, like replicating the meal a couple had on their wedding day fifty years ago so it could be served at the anniversary party. It didn’t matter that the chef who had prepared the meal was long dead and no one working in the Park’s kitchen had any kind of clue how to cook like he had. I made several uncomfortable phone calls only to find out that some of his recipes had been lost with him.
“So, do you think you could replicate all of his dishes?” I asked the head chef as we powwowed in the small, cramped back office which belonged to Nicole, who managed the restaurant.
Justin glanced at the newly created menu I’d handed him. “Yeah, seems pretty basic. Nothing too fancy. Dover sole almandine sounds a lot more difficult than it actually is.”
“These are the notes I was able to gather from a few people who attended the wedding fifty years ago about the meal.” I handed him three pages of handwritten notes.
His eyebrows came up at that. “Wow, impressive work, Andi.”
“Yeah, I had to make a lot of phone calls for those.”
“A bit much, don’t you think?”
“Not according to the big boss, it isn’t.”
Justin chuckled. “I’ve had a couple of impromptu inspections from Samuel myself since he’s been back. Fortunately for me, he can’t even boil water, so he thinks what I do is some kind of magic.”
“Which it is. But he’s very sly,” I said. “He looks like this kindly old man with a warm inviting grin, but really, he’s this tyrant with judgment in his icy-blue stare. I can’t do anything right as far as he’s concerned.”
“I agree, but I’d be careful who you say that around,” Justin cautioned in hushed tones as he glanced pointedly toward Nicole’s closed office door.
“Oh, I know. I’m quickly learning who’s on my side…”
The door to the office opened, and Nicole walked in. She stopped short and looked at us both. Speaking of judgment. It radiated off her like nuclear waste.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Andi was just filling me in on the menu request for the big fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration we’re hosting at the hotel next week.” He held up the menu as evidence. “I’ll get right on it, Andi. Thanks.” And he left. Smart move.
I wasn’t able to extract myself as easily. Nicole was worse than Samuel. She was constantly looking for ways to make me look bad. Not sure why she disliked me so much. It had to be more than just the fact that her husband and I had a brief fling back when I was in college. Not really even a fling. Just one casual date. We’d maybe kissed once, and it hadn’t been earth shattering or anything, because I didn’t even remember the kiss, if there’d been one.
I’d been tempted to ask Nicole about her attitude toward me on a couple of occasions but always chickened out—especially when she gave me the disparaging look she was giving me right at the moment.
“Shouldn’t you be getting back to your…desk?” She said it like “desk” was one of those filthy four-letter words.
“Nope. I’m actually off the clock. Just had to talk to Justin about the menu.”
“Oh.”
“Always a pleasure, Nicole.” I flipped around and walked out of the little space, through the bustling kitchen, through the restaurant, and into the lobby of the hotel.
I looked out the big bay windows and smiled. It was a gorgeous sunny day with a sky as blue as a robin’s egg, and I had time off. Time off that didn’t include recuperating from the chaos of a murder investigation. One I’d essentially solved, although the sheriff would never, ever admit to that fact. I’d barely received a thank-you from the guy, even after I thought we had reached a turning point in our, uh…in our association.
Since it was such a beautiful day, I decided to walk down the big hill to the village and check on my cats, Scout and Jem, at Daisy’s Pet Hotel. Yes, that was a thing on the island. It was actually pretty cool, and I really liked the owner, Daisy.
For the first week on the island, I was able to keep my feline family in my suite, but Lois insisted I find alternative arrangements for them. The hotel had a strict “no pets” policy, and that rule was also enforced with the live-in staff. Ginny had tried to talk her mother around, insisting that Scout and Jem were like my babies, but Lois put her foot down. Actually, she kept it down like it was glued to the floor. Sometimes that woman was hard as nails.
We probably would’ve had a better chance of persuading her if Samuel hadn’t shown up. I was pretty sure Lois’s father-in-law ran her ragged—even worse than he ran me—questioning everything with the same sour scowl.
Poor Lois. I felt for her. I definitely wouldn’t want to be walking in her shoes right now, though my position was a lot more precarious than hers. She was actual family, after all, and I was not. Hell, she was the one who owned the place since her husband, Henry, had died. Samuel couldn’t actually throw her out on the street like he could do to me.
I was just about to head out the front doors when someone called after me. I recognized the voice. Samuel Park. Ugh! “Hey, Andi. Hold up.”
I considered ignoring the voice, pretending like I didn’t hear it. But that would’ve been career suicide at this juncture. I needed this job because nothing had changed regarding my license to practice law, which was still submerged under the dark cloud of suspicion. I couldn’t work as a lawyer anywhere right now. Not while my former boss, Jeremy, was running from the law. He was guilty of embezzlement, for sure. But I was being judged guilty by mere association.
I turned with a wide,
bright smile on my face. “Hello, Samuel.”
He was a handsome man. A full head of silver hair and a sharp dresser. Every woman of a certain age would be proud to have him escort her anywhere. As always, he looked at me with icy-blue eyes through his perpetual frown. “Are you going into the village today?”
“Actually, I am.”
“Good.” He thrust a big envelope into my hands. “Drop this off to June Biddle.” He eyed me and issued yet another of his unending challenges. “You do know who June is, don’t you?
“Yes, of course I do.” I tried hard not to grind my teeth every time he insinuated that I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Being a lawyer required a full head of brains, and I’d been damned good at it, thank you very much. The man was infuriating.
“Those are the flower orders for the next month, so don’t forget.” He was waiting for me to screw up every time he asked me to do something. I could feel it. And I would die before I gave him that satisfaction.
