First Degree Murder

by Christy Barritt

  “Then let’s make it happen. Our saying has been: no one stands alone. Now my mantra is going to be to stand my ground.”

  “We’re all standing it with you, Cassidy. You can count on that.”

  As the crowd around Lisa and Braden cheered in the background, Cassidy tried to keep the reality of the lingering threat on her life at bay.

  She was more than counting on her community here on Lantern Beach to stand with her. Her life depended on it. And so did this island’s.

  Coming in April: Dead On Arrival

  Lantern Beach P.D., Book 4

  By Christy Barritt

  Chapter 1

  Moriah Gilead laced her fingers with her husband’s as they walked through a crowd of people, shaking hands and offering words of affirmation. Everyone around them adored this man—and for good reason.

  Anthony Gilead was amazing.

  The two of them had arrived back from their honeymoon only one day ago. Anthony—who was Moriah kidding? He’d always be Gilead to her—had taken her to a secluded cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. They hadn’t left the location all week.

  Her cheeks flushed at the thought.

  Their walk past the residents of Gilead’s Cove ended with Gilead taking the small stage at the front of the room.

  Today was the big day. Election day.

  Moriah had no idea Gilead was even running for mayor until three days ago.

  A lump formed in her throat at the memory.

  She thought Gilead should have mentioned that fact to her earlier. But he must have had good reason not to. Moriah had to stop being so quick to judge.

  She remained by the wooden steps leading to the stage, at the side of the crowd, and held her hands in front of her like a good, supportive wife. A submissive wife. Gilead had many conversations with her about this new role she’d taken on and what it meant.

  “Residents of Gilead’s Cove and followers of the Cause,” Gilead started, gripping the podium as his engaged expression latched onto anyone listening. “It’s great to be back with you.”

  Everyone cheered.

  Today’s event was a change from the normal morning pep session Gilead led. Something about him getting married, going away, and running for mayor seemed to ignite something in his followers. They were so excited and happy for him.

  “Today is going to be a good day,” he said, flashing a bright smile.

  More cheers.

  Gilead obviously felt confident he was going to win this election. And why shouldn’t he? The man was smart and charming. He had a way about him that made people want to do things for him. That was a great trait for a leader.

  “So, how was your honeymoon?” someone whispered.

  Moriah glanced over and saw Ruth had sidled up beside her. The woman had been Moriah’s mentor when she’d first arrived here at the Cove. The two of them hadn’t spoken since Moriah had returned from her trip, and Moriah had no desire to talk to the woman about anything personal now.

  Though it would be nice to talk to someone about personal things. To whisper secrets and share the highs and lows of her new marriage. Maybe even someone Moriah could ask advice from without fear of being reprimanded.

  Instead, Moriah offered a tight smile. “It was wonderful.”

  Ruth quirked a shaggy eyebrow. “Glad to hear that.”

  Moriah nibbled on the inside of her cheek. If she were talking to a trusted friend right now, she might tell the truth. Might share that her honeymoon hadn’t been anything like she’d imagined.

  In her mind, the trip would be full of tender moments where she and Gilead bonded together as husband and wife. After all, they still had so much to learn about each other. Their courtship had been short and hurried, to say the least.

  Instead of tender moments, the whole experience had felt like an exercise in . . . greed and insatiability.

  Moriah swallowed hard. She would never say those words aloud. Besides, no one would believe her. Everyone thought Gilead was God.

  Her expectations for their trip had simply been unrealistic. Still, she ran a hand over her lips, wishing she could erase the feel of her husband’s mouth against hers.

  What had once seemed forbidden and romantic now caused nausea to rise in her.

  She would adjust. Eventually, she’d tell Gilead her concerns over their relationship. Certainly something between them would change when she did. He’d understand that Moriah needed more of a personal connection and that otherwise she simply felt like a cheap escort.

  “Why do you look pale?” Ruth’s eyes bore into Moriah.

  “I don’t look pale,” Moriah insisted, hating how her muscles tensed at the question.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t look pale. I’m looking right at you.”

  Moriah shrugged. “It’s a big day. That’s all.”

  “We’re all headed into town to vote later. You too?”

  “I haven’t lived here for long enough, and I didn’t know—” She stopped herself before she said too much.

  “You didn’t know your husband was running for mayor?” Was that delight in Ruth’s voice? Was the woman looking for cracks in their marriage so she could exploit them? Or so she could feel better about herself?

  The last thing Moriah wanted was anyone feeling sorry for her—or like they had the upper hand.

  “We didn’t have much time to talk before we got married,” Moriah said. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “I’d say it was. If he wins this election, your life is going to look different. He’s going to have other responsibilities besides Gilead’s Cove. Other priorities besides you.”

  “I trust my husband, but I’m still not sure why he wants this.”

  Ruth leaned closer to be heard over Gilead’s motivational talk. “Power, my dear. Power.”

  Just as Ruth said the words, the back doors to the Meeting Place opened. Twenty people Moriah had never seen before flooded inside.

  She sucked in a quick, surprised breath. “What . . .?”

  “We’re busing them in,” Ruth whispered. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

  Moriah’s hand clutched the fabric of her dress near her neck. “Busing them in from where?”

  “Everywhere. The scouts have begun recruiting. We’re expecting to get twenty or thirty more people every week now. We need to expand. But first we need the proper permits.”

  Realization hit Moriah. Permits? Was that really why Gilead was interesting in taking over Lantern Beach? So he could do what he wanted when he wanted how he wanted?

  That sounded like her husband—in more than one way.

  She tried to push aside her anxiety, but it wouldn’t subside.

  Something bad was going to happen here.

  Moriah could feel it in her gut. And she had no choice but to trust her husband. Otherwise, she’d face the wrath of the Council, wrath that Gilead had told her included a whip and other punishments she couldn’t even imagine suffering.

  Chapter 2

  Cassidy Chambers pulled her oversized sweatshirt closer and melted against her husband as he stepped up behind her. With a cup of coffee in hand and the morning sun shining just above the horizon, the day promised to be a good one.

  She could use a good day. In her short tenure as police chief, too many things here on Lantern Beach had gone wrong. Too many crimes. Conspiracies. Threats.

  It had accumulated in Cassidy as shoulders that were constantly tight, a body that continually craved caffeine, and a distant headache that frequently wanted to rear.

  “Things are going to turn around,” Ty murmured in Cassidy’s ear, as if sensing her heavy thoughts.

  “I know.” Cassidy rested her free hand on top of her husband’s, treasuring the fact that he was her safe place. Always. “I’ll just be happy to have this election over with.”

  Today the town would elect their new mayor. Three people were in the running: current mayor Mike Tomlinson, former police chief Mac MacArthur, and newcomer Anthony Gilead.


  “You don’t really think Anthony Gilead is going to win, do you?” Ty seemed to read her thoughts yet again.

  Cassidy caught her bottom lip and nibbled on it as she frowned. “I want to say no. I really do. But I’ve seen crazier things happen before, so I never say never.”

  “Yeah, I get that.”

  She drew in a deep breath, trying to wrap her mind around everything that would be transpiring today. Though she’d been a detective in Seattle, this would be her first small-town election. It proved to be more stressful than she ever imagined.

  “So there are two voting locations here on the island,” Cassidy said, voicing her thoughts aloud. “My crew and I will be busy all day monitoring those sites. We don’t anticipate any trouble but . . . we are on Lantern Beach.”

  “Plus there are town officials who will be monitoring those locations for election fraud. Everything will be okay.”

  “You think?”

  “I do. And tonight, we will be celebrating Mac’s win. He’s going to make a great mayor.”

  “He will. He deserves this position. That’s for sure.” Cassidy stared out at the ocean as it lapped the shore in wave after wave, the motion as certain as the sunrise each morning. The constants in her life were what reassured her—the water, Ty, her circle of friends, God.

  Ever since Cassidy had begun receiving some text messages that threatened to reveal her past identity, her peace of mind had scattered. Someone knew who she really was, and that put her—as well as everyone she cared about—in danger.

  “That was some party we had for Mac last night.” Ty’s chin dipped down and rested near her neck.

  Cassidy took another sip of her coffee. “I wish I could have made it. I’m still not sure why someone would try to steal a car on an island. As soon as they try to leave on the ferry, they’re going to be caught.”

  “No one ever said criminals were smart.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” Cassidy said. “But I heard Lisa really hit it out of the park with her ‘Mac-themed’ food and drinks.”

  Mac and cheese with bacon, MacDonald’s knockoff Big Macs, MacDaddy sliders and french fries, fried mac-and-cheese balls, and more.

  “Doesn’t she always go above and beyond?”

  “Yes, she does.” Their friend Lisa Dillinger had just gotten back from her honeymoon in time to cater and host the event at her restaurant. The turnout had been great.

  Cassidy would guess, based on what she’d briefly seen and heard, that nearly two hundred people had shown up at some point. Considering there were only six hundred locals on the island, Cassidy thought those numbers were outstanding.

  Now, Cassidy hoped the turnout at the polls today would reflect all the campaigning that had been done and the qualifications Mac would bring to the office.

  Cassidy’s phone rang from its position on the railing in front of her.

  She sighed and stared at it a moment.

  “I knew I should have left it inside.” Begrudgingly, she grabbed it and answered. Early morning phone calls were never good. “Chief Chambers.”

  “Cassidy, it’s Doc Clemson. We have a situation I thought you’d want to know about.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “We’ve had about twenty, twenty-five people come in to the clinic this morning with food poisoning.”

  “Okay . . .” Cassidy wasn’t sure what this had to do with her.

  “Unfortunately, one of the patients was dead on arrival. I guess the food poisoning when mixed with his already weakened immune system was too much.”

  “Wow, that’s awful. I’m really sorry to hear that.”

  “Cassidy, there’s one thing that everyone here has in common.”

  She swallowed hard before asking, “What’s that?”

  “Everyone here was at Lisa’s last night.”

  Cassidy wasted no time getting to the clinic. She wanted to talk to Clemson in person and figure out what was going on here.

  But a bad feeling rose in her gut.

  This didn’t sound good. Not at all.

  She bypassed the nurses’ station and barely made eye contact with anyone as she walked down the hallway. No, she was a woman on a mission to find answers to protect one of her best friends in the world.

  She knocked on Clemson’s door before opening it and stepping inside. He looked up from his desk and pushed his glasses higher on his nose. A frown dug into his wrinkled face.

  “Thanks for coming, Cassidy. Have a seat.”

  She sat and stared at the town’s only doctor and esteemed medical examiner. “As you can imagine, I’m anxious to hear more. Are you certain it’s food poisoning?”

  He glanced up and let out a long breath. “Certain? No. Nearly certain? Yes. We’ll send samples to the lab, of course. But the fact that everyone who is ill ate at Lisa’s last night confirms that this isn’t just a virus.”

  “You said one person died?” The words burned in Cassidy’s throat. She hated to even think about it.

  “That’s correct. Darrell Johnson. He had lupus. His body just couldn’t handle everything.”

  Cassidy shook her head, trying to come to terms with what she’d learned. Everything about it made her feel sick to her stomach. “I Just can’t believe this, Clemson. How is everyone else doing?”

  Clemson glanced at the stack of papers in front of him and frowned. “Well, ten more people have been admitted since I called you. Fever. Headache. Chills. Vomiting. It’s not a pretty scene out there, and we’re running out of room. We may have to call in backup to help because we’re not staffed to handle this many sick people.”

  “But I know Lisa. She’s too responsible to let something like this happen.”

  He lowered the papers, but his frown still remained. He looked tired, like he’d been up all night. He probably had. “It can happen even to the best. Maybe it wasn’t Lisa at all. Maybe it was one of the foods she purchased. Maybe there needs to be a recall on some produce or seafood.”

  “Does everyone else seem okay? No one else is on death’s door or anything?” Cassidy prayed that wasn’t the case, that this outbreak would subside instead of worsening.

  “Not that I know of. Let’s hope not.”

  “What’s the next step?” She was the police chief and needed to think like a cop instead of a friend right now. But what was the protocol for something like this? She had no experience in dealing with massive food-poisoning outbreaks.

  “I’ll have to call the Department of Health. They’ll do an investigation. We need to find the source of this before other people become ill.”

  That made sense.

  Cassidy shifted, knowing that the events about to be set in motion would turn her friend’s life upside down. She cleared her throat before asking, “Clemson, have you told Lisa yet?”

  He shook his head, the action heavy and burdened. Almost everyone in Lantern Beach loved Lisa and only wanted the best for her. “No, I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it.”

  Cassidy stood. “I will.”

  She didn’t want to do it. Didn’t want to see the joy slip from her friend’s eyes. She’d looked so happy earlier since returning from her honeymoon. She’d delighted in hosting Mac’s party.

  And now this.

  “You sure?” Clemson asked.

  Cassidy nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. It needs to come from a friend. Plus, I’m going to have to get involved. Someone died. This is much bigger than mere food poisoning at this point. This will shut her restaurant down. It could even lead to some civil cases. It’s hard to say right now. But it will probably get uglier before it gets better.”

  “I’ll be praying for everyone involved.”

  Cassy stood and nodded. “Thank you. This town is going to need it.”

  Also by Christy Barritt:

  Other Books in the Lantern Beach Mystery Series:

  Hidden Currents

  You can take the detective out of the investigation, but you can't take the investigator o
ut of the detective. A notorious gang puts a bounty on Detective Cady Matthews’s head after she takes down their leader, leaving her no choice but to hide until she can testify at trial. But her temporary home across the country on a remote North Carolina island isn’t as peaceful as she initially thinks. Living under the new identity of Cassidy Livingston, she struggles to keep her investigative skills tucked away, especially after a body washes ashore. When local police bungle the murder investigation, she can’t resist stepping in. But Cassidy is supposed to be keeping a low profile. One wrong move could lead to both her discovery and her demise. Can she bring justice to the island . . . or will the hidden currents surrounding her pull her under for good?

  Flood Watch

  The tide is high, and so is the danger on Lantern Beach. Still in hiding after infiltrating a dangerous gang, Cassidy Livingston just has to make it a few more months before she can testify at trial and resume her old life. But trouble keeps finding her, and Cassidy is pulled into a local investigation after a man mysteriously disappears from the island she now calls home. A recurring nightmare from her time undercover only muddies things, as does a visit from the parents of her handsome ex-Navy SEAL neighbor. When a friend's life is threatened, Cassidy must make choices that put her on the verge of blowing her cover. With a flood watch on her emotions and her life in a tangle, will Cassidy find the truth? Or will her past finally drown her?

  Storm Surge

  A storm is brewing hundreds of miles away, but its effects are devastating even from afar. Laid-back, loose, and light: that’s Cassidy Livingston’s new motto. But when a makeshift boat with a bloody cloth inside washes ashore near her oceanfront home, her detective instincts shift into gear . . . again. Seeking clues isn’t the only thing on her mind—romance is heating up with next-door neighbor and former Navy SEAL Ty Chambers as well. Her heart wants the love and stability she’s longed for her entire life. But her hidden identity only leads to a tidal wave of turbulence. As more answers emerge about the boat, the danger around her rises, creating a treacherous swell that threatens to reveal her past. Can Cassidy mind her own business, or will the storm surge of violence and corruption that has washed ashore on Lantern Beach leave her life in wreckage?