Two years prior, my Mom quit her job as an English teacher to pursue her dream career. Since she was a child, she’d dreamed of becoming a full-time author. To quit a fifteen-year profession to start a new career in uncharted waters was a big risk. Fortunately for her, my father supported her along the way, even though it made things tough financially for a few years.
The gamble paid off as her murder mystery series, Homestead Homicides, shot up the charts and became a bestseller. Her overnight success earned her a great deal of respect among her peers in the author community. Because of this, she traveled all summer, attending various author conventions and book store signings.
Truth be told, I believed the constant travel helped her cope with the loss of my father. Originally, one of the reasons I decided to come back home was to be with her in her time of need. It upset me not to see her as much, but the alternative proved better than sitting at home grieving for my father.
I felt disappointed at first, but my reaction changed quickly when I noticed how excited and proud she felt about the opportunity.
“I’ll be back in three days, but in the meantime, I don’t want you to worry or feel afraid. Hayes Security will be by tomorrow to install a new alarm system. We don’t need any other psychopaths trying to break into our home.”
“Are you sure that’s necessary? My method of security worked wonders last time,” I said as I looked over to my aluminum bat propped up beside the front door. Ty heroically knocked my would-be-murderer out with that very bat, so I referred to it as my security system.
My mom laughed out loud at the ridiculous notion. “Not that I’m trying to doubt your unorthodox method of home security, but I feel better knowing we have a monitored system in place.”
Chapter 4
After my mother left for the conference, I walked upstairs and headed straight to my room. To be honest, staying alone in the house downstairs freaked me out a bit. The tall ceilings amplified the strange noises the old house made, especially when I was alone. My room provided a great escape as my television drowned out most of the noises.
I’ll admit it. I’m a big chicken.
The Sunny Shores town council met that evening at 7:30 p.m., so I had a few hours to kill in the meantime. On the rare occasions I wasn’t occupied with my business, my other obsession dealt with researching the case of my father’s death.
My father worked as a detective on the Sunny Shores Police Department but died in the line of duty. Although the department closed my father’s case, it remained unsolved due to budget cuts by the Mayor.
The current Sunny Shores Chief of Police, Sam Martin, had served as my father’s partner for the better part of two decades. I considered Sam family, as I knew him since I was a child. Unfortunately, Sam first discovered my father’s dead body at the site of the abandoned orange juice factory.
After I helped solve the John Harmon murder case, Sam stopped by the Burger She Wrote food truck and left me a folder. When he walked away, I opened the contents to find the investigation case file for my father’s death. Since then, I’d combed through it each night, piece by piece, trying to make sense of it all.
So far, no luck.
My mind remained too occupied with the events from earlier in the day to continue researching my father’s case, so I stood up from my desk and sat on my bed. Before my neck hit the pillow, a loud thud came from downstairs. I perked up quickly, but I ultimately decided it must’ve been my imagination playing tricks on me or possibly all the caffeine.
I picked up the television remote and muted the volume. My mind may have been playing a cruel trick on me, but I swore I heard a faint noise that sounded like footsteps. As I nervously sat up in my bed, the sound became louder and louder. At this point there was no doubt in my mind that someone was walking up the stairs.
I leaped out of bed and hurried over to my desk. I scrambled around and looked through the mess, as I tried to find my cell phone under the stacks of notes and files. Suddenly, a cold realization hit me.
I’d left my cell phone downstairs in the kitchen.
Chapter 5
I’ll admit it. I panicked.
With little time to react, I picked up the closest object I could reach, which unfortunately was my curling iron. Truth be told it wasn’t the best choice, but my aluminum bat stood propped up next to the front door downstairs. So, I had to compromise.
The sound continued until it stopped outside my door. As the knob began to turn, I rushed towards the door to stop it from opening. My un-catlike reflects proved too slow.
“What the heck, Kara,” Star screamed as I swung my weapon. My actions proved less than heroic as I missed by a mile and fell to the floor.
“What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?” I asked as I picked myself off the floor. “Why didn’t you knock?”
“I did knock. I also called and texted you,” Star said as she showed me her phone.
“Oh,” I said as the feeling of shame and embarrassment fully kicked in. “I thought you were an intruder. You’re lucky I didn’t hurt you.”
“Hurt me? What were you going to do? Curl me to death,” Star said as she picked my curling iron off the floor and laughed. “Come to think of it, it wouldn’t kill you to do something with your hair for once. Do you even know how to use this thing?”
“Very funny,” I said as I grabbed it out of her hand and threw it on the bed behind me. “What’s going on?”
“I discovered what that witch meant by saying she’d take care of our little problem.”
“Who? Margaret Pettyjohn?”
“Yes,” Star replied. “Like I said, that witch.”
She didn’t use the word witch, though.
“What did she do?”
“She called animal control on Mr. Whiskers.”
“Are you sure?”
“I know for a fact, because my friend Dan works for animal control. She called his supervisor and complained about Mr. Whiskers. She basically ordered them to catch him and lock him up.”
“Can’t you convince your friend to call off the hunt?”
“I already asked him. Dan tried to reason with his boss, but he wouldn’t budge. His boss refused to go against the request of a town council member, as he put it.”
Star looked viscerally upset with a look I don’t recall ever seeing before. Star acted tough most of the time, but something changed with her when it came to the cat. It hurt my heart to see her like that.
“Dan told me that they were instructed to go by Grove Park tomorrow afternoon and catch Mr. Whiskers,” Star explained as she took a deep breath before sitting down at the edge of my bed. “I feel like it’s entirely my fault.”
Star seemed sad and defeated, and I didn’t like it one bit. I sat down on the bed beside her as I racked my brain to search for a solution. Then, it hit me.
“I have to attend the city council meeting tonight, but we can go by in the morning if you want. We can catch the cat before animal control can get to him.”
“What will we do with him? You know my mom and dad are both allergic to cats. Neither one of them would let me keep him,” Star said. She had a look of concern I’d rarely seen.
I turned to her and smiled. “Let’s rescue him first. I’m sure we can find someone to adopt him. These things have a way of working themselves out.”
Relieved, Star looked up at the wall above my desk. She stared for a few seconds at all the news clippings, notes, and other papers hung on the wall.
“That doesn’t look healthy at all,” she said as she slightly tugged a red piece of yarn that connected two items. “This looks like something a serial killer would have on their wall. Should I be worried?”
I laughed. “I know that it may seem a bit much, but I can’t get my dad’s case out of my mind. I know there’s more to it than what the police report states. There’s just something missing.”
Chapter 6
Later that night, I stood in my driveway as I waited for Ty.
My stomach was a ball of nerves as I paced back and forth. The moment Ty’s truck drove up, though, I felt a little bit better.
“No hot date tonight?” I said as Ty hopped out of his truck and walked up my driveway.
“Real funny,” he replied as he walked around the front of the truck and opened the passenger door for me. “My hot date is actually tomorrow night, if you must know.”
Opening a door for a lady was a small but appreciated gesture. Ty still had a bit of southern gentleman in him, which was a nice trait to have. My ex lacked that trait, among many others.
Ty volunteered to drive me to the town council meeting that evening, since I didn’t own a car. Living less than a mile from downtown Sunny Shores, I never had a need to drive, so I never learned how. Plus, I couldn’t afford a car. All my funds were tied up in my business.
Most days, I walked or biked to work. I used that time to clear my thoughts and get ready for the day ahead. My morning strolls became a type of meditation for me. But with the recent string of criminal incidents in the last few weeks, Ty and Star both insisted I bum a ride with them after dark.
“So, do you know what you’re going to say yet?” Ty asked as we pulled out of my driveway.
“Umm, yeah.” I paused a few seconds before responding in a less-than-convincing manner. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m going to blow their socks off.”
“You don’t have anything prepared, do you?” Ty said as he shook his head and laughed.
He knew me too well. With all the commotion that occurred that evening, I somehow forgot to prepare a statement or think of what I would say to the council.
“Not at all,” I said as I turned to him with a panicked tone. “I’m so screwed, aren’t I?”
“Probably so. I can just turn the truck around if you want and take you home.”
“Seriously?” I asked as I began to panic.
He laughed. “I’m kidding, Kara. You’re going to be fine.”
“I can’t afford to stay shut down during the busiest time in the summer. I’ll go out of business.”
“You know half the people on the council, I’m sure they’ll see it your way,” Ty said, trying to assure me.
As we pulled up to City Hall, I felt a sense of déjà vu. The last time I’d attended a Sunny Shores town council meeting was in high school. Even though a few years had passed, I still felt a sense of familiarity.
My father served as a council member up until the time of his death. As a child, I loved to sit in the crowd and watch him in action. He remained strong in his opinion, even if he butted heads with the Mayor. In fact, those two seemed at odds on a lot of issues over the years.
Ty and I slipped in quietly and took our seats in the back. The session had already begun, so we tried to avoid causing a scene.
Eight members originally sat on the city council, with Mayor Roy presiding. With the murder of my father and John Harmon, only six council members remained. City council members were only voted in once a year, during the fall. Until that time, the seats remained open.
Mayor Roy only voted in instances of a tie. Other than that, he mostly led the meetings. He had the gift of gab for sure, but unfortunately this caused many meetings to drag on and on.
“The next matter we have tonight is the proposal of the purchase of the old orange juice factory lot by Small World Investments,” Mayor Roy said as he shuffled a few papers around. “They have submitted a proposal with a ten-percent increase over the last bid.”
“They’re still trying to sell that land?” I whispered to Ty.
“Yep. They’ve been trying for years, but it’s voted down each time.”
The property on which the factory sat abandoned remained a controversial topic among the people of our town. For years, developers placed bids to purchase the property because of its prime beach front location. The prevailing plans centered around building resorts and hotel rooms on the property.
Most of the townspeople opposed this idea. The reasoning behind the opposition was simple. Sunny Shores was a small and quiet tourist destination. Many believed by developing this land for commercial purposes, our town risked transforming into a tourist trap.
This didn’t stop the Small World Investment group from trying. They were dead-set on purchasing that land.
“I make a motion to call this to a vote,” Mayor Roy stated.
“I second the motion,” Paul Swift responded. Paul Swift was the owner of Sea Breeze Used Auto, and he was greasy as they came.
“All those in favor, say aye,” Mayor Roy said.
“Aye,” Paul Swift said as he raised his hand.
“Aye,” Fay Thomas, a local realtor, said as she raised her hand.
Mayor Roy paused for a second, while looking at the remaining members. It was as if he wanted them to agree with the other two. None of the other members budged.
“All those opposed, say nay,” he said after sighing.
Margaret Pettyjohn, Sarah Roberts, Bonnie May, and Jerry Haggs all responded with a “nay”.
With the council members voting four to two against the sale, Mayor Roy’s only option was to deny the motion.
“That was the last item on the agenda this evening, so we will open the floor to any citizen issues or concerns. If anyone wants to speak, please approach the floor,” Mayor Roy said as he began shuffling papers.
Instead of being the assertive woman I pictured myself as in my head, I sat frozen on the bench. You’d think it’d take an act of God for me to stand up. Fortunately, a nudging elbow from Ty was all I needed.
“Little Miss Kara, what brings you out here tonight, sweetheart,” Mayor Roy said as I approached the floor.
“I’m here to ask the council and Ms. Pettyjohn to reconsider the closing of my restaurant.”
“Don’t you mean food truck?” Fay Thomas asked in a condescending tone.
I took a deep breath before responding. “Yes, my food truck. Ms. Pettyjohn stopped by at the worst time. The situation she observed was in no way normal and doesn’t reflect how I run my business.”
“Uh huh,” Ms. Pettyjohn responded as she rolled her eyes.
“All I’m asking is for one more chance. You can come by tomorrow and reinspect,” I said as I pleaded my case. “I can’t afford to be shut down during the busiest time of the summer.”
Margaret Pettyjohn leaned over and whispered into Mayor Roy’s ear. They both smirked as they looked at me in unison. The looks on their faces left me with an uneasy feeling.
“Miss Summers, we believe that you should take the full two weeks to get your house in order, so to speak. It’s nothing personal. We only have the interests of Sunny Shores in mind,” he said as he grinned. “If no one else has anything, this meeting is adjourned.”
“But…” I tried to speak, but the loud crashing of his gavel drowned me out.
“That didn’t exactly go as planned,” I said as I met back up with Ty.
“I’m sorry, Kara,” he said as he tried to console me. “You tried your best, but you’re fighting an uphill battle in this town. It’s full of dirty politics.”
“Maybe so, but I’m not done yet,” I said as I made my way through the crowd. I searched high and low for Ms. Pettyjohn. I wanted to bury the hatchet, once and for all.
Bonnie May spotted me looking like a lost puppy in the crowd. She walked over to me and asked, “Are you looking for someone?”
“I’m trying to find Ms. Pettyjohn,” I replied, while my eyes searched the crowded room. “I have to convince her to change her mind. At this point, I’m willing to beg for her forgiveness.”
“I’m afraid you just missed her because she’s gone,” Bonnie May explained. “She left in a hurry. Apparently, she received a call and told Roy she had to go. Whatever it was, it seemed urgent, dear.”
“Urgent?” I wondered what it was.
It was odd that she’d left in a big hurry. Little did I know, things were about to hit number 10 on the crazy scale.
&nbs
p; Chapter 7
That next morning, Star and I headed to T.J.’s Farm, the closest place I knew to get fresh coconuts in the area. It was located only ten miles south of Sunny Shores, so I hoped we could make it back in plenty of time to get Star to work, as well as rescue the cat. I should’ve known better.
The pies needed to be perfect, in my mind. With my truck being closed due to health violations, I needed to drum up as much positive word of mouth as possible. These coconut pies weren’t only a product to sell, but an advertisement for my business. With the Breezy Bean being one of the busiest stops in town, I hoped to gain a lot of positive buzz. Lord knows I needed it.
“I hope this doesn’t take too long,” Star said as we drove down State Highway 5.
“You know, we could stop by there instead,” Star said as she pointed to a rundown building to the right.
“The Bumbling Buoy? Are you serious?” I said in a mom-like, condescending tone. “The bar?”
The Bumbling Buoy Bar and Grille sat directly beside T.J.’s Farm. Except for a couple of times, at the request of my ex, I avoided that place like the plague.
Star smiled. “I’m just sayin’ that it might be more fun.”
“First of all, you’re only eighteen years old. An innocent girl like you shouldn’t be patronizing a sleazy establishment like that,” I said as I shook my head.
“Innocent?” Star said, laughing. “I’ve been called many things in my life, but that’s a first. I’m far from innocent.”
“Innocent is probably the wrong word to use, but you understand my point. You’re a good person. That’s the kind of place not-so-good people hang out,” I replied. “Besides it’s 8 a.m.”
“I think you’re being a little closed-minded, Kara,” Star fired back. “You’ve told me on many occasions to not judge a book by its cover.”
Coconut Cream Confession Page 3
