by Kathi Daley
“I’m really sorry about this,” I said to Trevor. “Tracking down the person who shot a social worker in her driveway is not the relaxing getaway we talked about.”
“It’s not a problem at all,” Trevor said. “If there is anything either of us can do to help Woody out, I think it is important to do so. It did occur to me that we might fit in some relaxation around helping Woody.”
I leaned in just a bit. “Oh. What did you have in mind?”
“I have a new recipe I’ve been wanting to try out. If you don’t mind being a guinea pig, I thought we could have dinner at my place.”
“Well, I’m not sure how I feel about the guinea pig part, but I’m game. I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious. Are you still planning to take the weekend off?”
“I am since I’d already planned to be off, and it is a slow time of the year, I figured we’d do what we could to help Woody but maybe work in some fun as well. There is a pub that recently opened down the coast that I’ve been wanting to try out. If we have time, maybe we can take a drive.”
“Sounds fun.” I looked up when Woody returned to the room. “Well?”
“Based on the conversation I had with Bryson’s assistant, he has three cases he is working on with Trinity. One case is a child custody case involving the maternal grandfather of seven-year-old twins and their stepdad. The biological mother named her husband as guardian of her daughters should anything happen to her, but apparently the woman’s father, the grandfather of the twins, is suing for custody.”
“And the biological father?” I asked.
“As far as I can tell, he is not now nor has he ever been in the picture, but I only received a brief summary and am waiting for more details about the case.”
“Okay, what else are they working on?” I asked.
“Trinity was working on a neglect case involving four children aged ten and under who were left alone much of the time while the parents were working or otherwise occupied. Apparently, she has tried working with the parents to rectify the situation, but two weeks ago, the oldest was trying to cook dinner for his siblings and set fire to the kitchen. Trinity and Bryson worked together to have the children removed from the home. The father was arrested after he picked them up from school without permission with the intent of taking them to stay with his brother who lives in Utah. It’s a pretty big mess.”
“Sounds volatile enough to lead to someone going over the deep end. And the third one?” I asked.
“The third case involves a fifteen-year-old boy named Devon Long, who has been in the foster care system since he was four. Both of his parents were sent to prison for armed robbery. The boy’s mother was released from prison early due to overcrowding and for good behavior. She has petitioned to have her son returned to her, but the foster parents are balking. When they accepted the child into their home for such a long-term assignment, they were concerned about becoming too attached, but they were told the boy’s parents would be in prison until after he turned eighteen, so having him returned to either parent wouldn’t be an issue.”
“And now it is an issue.”
“Exactly.”
“So what is the plan at this point?” I asked.
“I’m going to speak to all three parties, and I plan to track Bryson down and speak to him personally. He is going to be in court until four, so I plan to catch up with him there.”
Wadding up my sandwich wrapper, I tossed it in the trash. “Okay. It sounds as if you have that handled. I’m going to go by the hospital again tomorrow and try to connect with Trinity. I don’t have high hopes that I will be able to, but I’m willing to try. In the meantime, if you need anything, call or text. I’ll be around, but I may not be home, so just call my cell.”
“I will, and thanks again. I’ll let you know how my interviews with the three people of interest go. When it comes to child custody, there is always the potential for a peaceful negotiation to turn volatile.”
I stood up to leave when an image flashed through my mind. “I had another image,” I said aloud. “It was the same man I’d seen before being shot again, but this time I noticed the setting. He was standing on the stairs in front of the courthouse.”
Woody frowned. “Maybe I’d better head over there now.”
“Yeah. I think you should. This image was different than the last one. This one felt as if I was seeing it in real-time.”
The woman who manned the front poked her head in through the door of the conference room where we were still talking. “There has been a shooting at the courthouse. A man is dead. All units in the area have been dispatched to respond.”
Woody grabbed his vest and his gun. “I’m on my way.”
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender
Heavenly Honeymoon
Hopscotch Homicide
Ghostly Graveyard
Santa Sleuth
Shamrock Shenanigans
Kitten Kaboodle
Costume Catastrophe
Candy Cane Caper
Holiday Hangover
Easter Escapade
Camp Carter
Trick or Treason
Reindeer Roundup
Hippity Hoppity Homicide
Firework Fiasco
Henderson House
Holiday Hostage
Lunacy Lake
Celtic Christmas – December 2019
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
Fireworks in Paradise
Beaches in Paradise
Thanksgiving in Paradise
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines
Legend of Tabby Hollow
Cat of Christmas Past
A Tale of Two Tabbies
The Great Catsby
Count Catula
The Cat of Christmas Present
A Winter’s Tail
The Taming of the Tabby
Frankencat
The Cat of Christmas Future
Farewell to Felines
A Whisker in Time
The Catsgiving Feast
A Whale of a Tail
The Catnap Before Christmas
Writers’ Retreat Mystery:
First Case
Second Look
Third Strike
Fourth Victim
Fifth Night
Sixth Cabin
Seventh Chapter
Eighth Witness
Ninth Grave
Rescue Alaska Mystery:
Finding Justice
Finding Answers
Finding Courage
Finding Christmas
Finding Shelter – Early 2020
A Tess and Tilly Mystery:
The Christmas Letter
The Valentine Mystery
The Mother’s Day Mishap
The Halloween House
The Thanksgiving Trip
The Saint Paddy’s Promise
The Halloween Haunting
The Christma
s Clause – November 2019
The Inn at Holiday Bay:
Boxes in the Basement
Letters in the Library
Message in the Mantel
Answers in the Attic
Haunting in the Hallway
Pilgrim in the Parlor
Note in the Nutcracker – December 2019
A Cat in the Attic Mystery:
The Curse of Hollister House
The Mystery before Christmas - November 2019
The Hathaway Sisters:
Harper
Harlow
Hayden – Early 2020
Haunting by the Sea:
Homecoming by the Sea
Secrets by the Sea
Missing by the Sea
Betrayal by the Sea
Thanksgiving by the Sea – October 2019
Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:
Murder at Dolphin Bay
Murder at Sunrise Beach
Murder at the Witching Hour
Murder at Christmas
Murder at Turtle Cove
Murder at Water’s Edge
Murder at Midnight
Murder at Pope Investigations
Seacliff High Mystery:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic
The Conspiracy
The Grudge
The Shadow
The Haunting
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
USA Today best-selling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than a hundred books in eleven series, including Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Tess and Tilly Cozy Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Series, Inn at Holiday Bay Cozy Mysteries, Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, Haunting by the Sea Paranormal Mysteries, Family Ties Mystery Romances, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com
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