Fourth Victim (Writers Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery Book 4)

by Kathi Daley

  And Jack had settled into my room at the resort, planning to stay for several days at least. We’d brought Kizzy’s crate and set it up in my room, so I felt like my little family was set for the holiday.

  I’d received a text from Dru, letting me know he’d had a good time on Gull Island and hoped we’d stay in touch. I’d assured him I’d like that too, and then I sent a text to Margo wishing her a happy holiday. I hoped she wasn’t too angry with me for turning down her offer. She’d sounded as if she understood when I’d spoken to her, but she’d gone out of her way to give me a second chance at my career and I wanted to be sure she knew how much I appreciated it. Maybe I’d make a trip to New York after the first of the year to ensure those important people knew how much they meant to me.

  I was excited and hopeful about what the future might bring. In fact, I couldn’t remember a time when I was quite as content as I was at that very minute.

  ******

  We congratulated Brit on a job well done and returned to the resort, where Vikki helped Clara and George get dinner on the table, while Jack and I each grabbed a flashlight and took our new baby Kizzy for a walk. I loved to watch her run and play, and she was such a good puppy, she came when you called her and rarely barked. Sadly, Agatha and Blackbeard both hated her quite a lot, though their mutual hatred of the puppy seemed to have helped them to forge a bond and had all but stopped picking on each other.

  Jack spent the first part of the walk talking about the cabin he wanted to remodel. He was now thinking of tearing down the cabin closest to 20 so he’d have absolute privacy, and he’d upgraded the remodel to a four-bedroom unit with an expanded loft. What he wanted all that room for I didn’t know, and when I asked him about it he didn’t answer, but I noticed a gleam in his eye that made my heart beat just a tiny bit faster.

  Of course, Jack would pay Garrett handsomely for the use of the land, and now my brother was talking about adding a pool to the property. At first, I didn’t know why he would need a pool when the ocean was so close, but he’d pointed out that it would be good for his physical therapy, which made a lot of sense.

  “It sure is a beautiful night,” Jack said as we paused to look at the reflection of the moon on the sea.

  “It is. I’m glad we decided to take a few minutes to ourselves. It’s been a very hectic week.”

  “It has, but I only have one more thing to take care of and then I’m yours for the whole weekend.”

  “One more thing?” I asked.

  Jack winked. “It’s a secret.”

  I looked directly at Jack. “Are you Secret Santa?”

  Jack feigned shock. “Whyever would you think that?”

  “It just occurred to me that the amount of money that’s been spent on the Secret Santa projects over the past twelve years has been substantial. There aren’t a lot of people on the island who would have the bank to do all that.”

  “I guess that’s a good point.”

  “So, are you Secret Santa?”

  “Are you still intent on unmasking the holiday crusader?”

  “No. There’s something very special about the secret part of the acts that have been carried out. I’m just curious.”

  Jack took my hand and started to walk again. “All right. The answer to your question is a story, if you’ll bear with me.”

  “Fine.”

  “When I was just starting out with my writing, I let the fame part of what I was doing go to my head. I’d written a couple of New York Times best sellers and I was riding the fame train, which led to guest spots on all the big talk shows, invites to parties and premieres, more money than I could reasonably manage, and, of course, women. Lots and lots of women.”

  “Go on, but skip the part about the women. I don’t need to know the specifics.”

  “What it really comes down to is, by the time I was working on my fifth book, I had a very full social life. I also had my fair share of stalkers and paparazzi to deal with.”

  “Stalkers?”

  “Not the dangerous sort. I’m talking about fans who’d wait outside my apartment building to catch me coming and going, and the line of autograph seekers that formed when I tried to dine out. The result was that I was having a hard time meeting my contractual deadline. My editor knew I was struggling, so he suggested I take a break from the media circus. He got me together with Valerie McCall, who had a cabin on Gull Island. She offered me the use of it while I finished my manuscript and I accepted.”

  “I spoke to her. She seems really nice.”

  “She is very nice. She invited me to use the cabin whenever I wanted, so I started spending a month here every year while I worked on my next book. During my time on the island, I tended to stay in, so I hadn’t met the locals yet, but I’d fallen in love with the area.”

  “What does all this have to do with Secret Santa?” I asked.

  “I’m getting to it. Twelve years ago, just before Christmas, a lightning strike started a fire. Four cabins burned to the ground, including Valerie’s. Two of the four cabins were vacation rentals owned by investors, but the fourth cabin was owned and lived in by a family of six. After the fire, they had nowhere to go, so Valerie and I decided to anonymously rent the family a home, decorate it, and provide wrapped gifts for all the children. Trust me: at that point neither of us had any intention of becoming Secret Santa.”

  Jack paused and I waited. I realized where this was going, but I figured I’d let him tell the story at his own pace.

  “The following year I got a call from Valerie, who’d rebuilt her cabin and was staying on the island for the holiday. She told me the local animal shelter had lost their lease and was going to have to close its doors. She’d found a warehouse she wanted to convert for use as a shelter and wondered if I wanted to team up with her again. I’d found that helping the family the year before had been wildly satisfying, so I agreed. To make a long story short, that started the tradition of the two of us teaming up to provide for someone in need during the holidays.”

  I reached up and kissed Jack on the lips. “I think what the two of you are doing is wonderful.”

  “Thanks. It’s satisfying to be able to give back to the community.” Jack took out his phone and glanced at it. “In fact, I need to follow up on something for this year’s miracle, so let’s head back.”

  “You go ahead. I think Kizzy and I will walk to the end of the beach.”

  After Jack left I took a moment to contemplate what I’d just learned. I wasn’t surprised to hear Jack was Secret Santa, but I was surprised to discover how very little I really knew about him. I didn’t know where our relationship would take us, but I did intend to take the time to find out a whole lot more about this man who had showed up in my life and swept me off my feet.

  The Secret Santa story would have been huge if I’d been able to reveal that behind the gifts were two very popular authors. And it was too bad the whole world wouldn’t know the wonderful things Jack and Valerie were doing. But the point Colin Walton had made about the reward of giving being all that much sweeter when accomplished anonymously, actually made a lot of sense.

  Kizzy and I had come to the end of the beach and turned back toward the house when I noticed the light on in Nicole Carrington’s cabin. I was certain I’d be snubbed for my effort, but it was Christmas and we were all having dinner, and it seemed like the right thing to do to invite her to join us, even if I was certain she’d say no. Kizzy and I climbed her front steps and knocked on the door. Nicole looked surprised to see us when she answered.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I know you’ve explained your preference not to join in group activities, but we’re making dinner tonight and I thought you might like to join us. It’s casual,” I assured her. “Clara made a ham, George is making his famous beans, Brit is doing something with potatoes, cheese, and sour cream that smells heavenly, and Alex mixed up a pitcher of margaritas.”

  I waited for the negative response and was fully prepa
red to smile and leave, no matter how rude she was.

  “Is that your dog?”

  I looked down at the puppy sitting politely at my feet. “Sort of. Jack and I found her on the beach last week. She lives with Jack for the time being, but we sort of share her.”

  A look of longing came over Nicole’s face. “I’ve always wanted a dog, but I’ve never lived anywhere that would allow me to have one.”

  “You’re welcome to have a polite, well-trained dog, or a dog that’s crated until trained while you’re away from the cabin if you’d like. When Jack moves to the resort, Kizzy will be living here.”

  Nicole smiled. I had to admit I was so surprised, I almost commented but caught myself just in time.

  “I might think about it. And yes, a well-trained dog will be a must. I wouldn’t want to worry about the furniture getting chewed up.”

  “You might consider a rescue dog. Puppies can be a lot of work and do tend to chew, but I’m sure if you explained your needs to the local rescue workers, they could help you find the perfect companion.”

  Nicole looked at Kizzy again. “Thank you for the suggestion. I may have a talk with them.”

  “Great. I’m anxious to see who you welcome into your life.” I glanced at the house. “So, about dinner…”

  Nicole looked as if she was going to flee, but then Kizzy walked over and put a paw on her leg. Nicole bent down and petted the pup, who was calm and not at all rambunctious. She looked at me with an expression of uncertainty. “Okay. I guess I’m hungry, and I do like ham and beans.”

  It was official; Jack might be Secret Santa, a mysterious presence who brought miracles to the island, but as far as I was concerned, Kizzy convincing Nicole to take the first step toward becoming one of the group was the real Christmas miracle at the Turtle Cove Resort this year.

  A New Series from Kathi Daley Books

  http://amzn.to/2wHBETt

  Preview Chapter 1

  There are people in the world who insist that life is what you make of it. They’ll tell you that if you work hard enough and persevere long enough, everything you’ve ever desired will one day be yours. But as I sat in the fifth dingy office I’d visited in as many months and listened as the fifth pencil pusher in a dark suit and sensible shoes looked at me with apologetic eyes, I finally understood that not every dream was realized and not every wish granted.

  “Ms. Carson, do you understand what I’m saying?”

  I nodded, trying to fight back the tears I absolutely would not shed. “You’re saying that you can’t consider my grant application unless I’ve secured a facility.”

  The man let out a long breath that sounded like a wheeze, which I was sure was more of a sigh of relief. “Exactly. I do love your proposal to build an animal shelter in your hometown, but our grant is designed to be used for ongoing operations. I’m afraid without a physical presence we really must move on.”

  I leaned over to pick up my eight-year-old backpack. “Yes. I understand. Thank you so much for your time.”

  “Perhaps next year?” the man encouraged with a lopsided grin.

  I smiled in return. Granted, it was a weak little smile that did nothing to conceal my feelings of defeat. “Thank you. I’m certain we’ll be able to meet your criteria by the next application cycle.”

  “We begin a new cycle on June 1. If you can secure a facility by that time please feel free to reapply,” the man said.

  I thanked the bureaucrat and left his office. I tried to ignore the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach and instead focused on the clickety-clack that sounded as the tile floor came into contact with the two-inch heels I’d bought for this occasion. Had I really been working on this project for more than two years? Maybe it was time to throw in the towel and accept defeat. The idea of building an animal shelter in Rescue Alaska was a noble one, but the mountain of fund-raising and paperwork that needed to be scaled to make this particular dream come true seemed insurmountable at best.

  I dug into my backpack for my cell phone, which rang just as I stepped out of the warm building into the bracing cold of the frigid Alaskan winter. I pulled the hood of my heavy parka over my dark hair before wrapping its bulk tightly around my small frame.

  “So, how did it go?” My best friend, Chloe Rivers, asked the minute I answered her call.

  “It went.”

  “What happened?” Chloe groaned.

  I looked up toward the sky, allowing the snow to land on my face and mask my tears. “The grant is designated for operations, so it seems we aren’t eligible until we have a facility. The problem is, we have no money to build a facility and no one will give us a loan for one unless we have capital for operations already lined up. It’s an endless cycle I’m afraid we can’t conquer.”

  “We can’t give up. You know what you have to do.”

  “No,” I said firmly. “We’ll find another way.” I knew I sounded harsh, but I had to make Chloe understand.

  “Another way?” Chloe screeched. I listened as she took a deep breath before continuing in a softer tone. “Come on, Harmony, you know we’ve tried everything. There is no other way.”

  Chloe’s plea faded as an image flashed into my mind. I closed my eyes and focused on the image before I spoke. I knew from previous experience that it was important to get a lock on the psychic connection before I said or did anything to break the spell. Once I felt I was ready, I opened my eyes and tuned back into Chloe’s chatter. I was certain she hadn’t missed a beat even though I’d missed the whole thing. “Look, I have to go,” I interrupted. “Someone’s in trouble. I’ll call you later.”

  I hung up with Chloe, called a cab, and then called Dani Mathews. Dani was a helicopter pilot and one of the members of the search-and-rescue team I was a part of. She’d offered to give me a lift into Anchorage for my meeting today and I’d taken her up on it.

  “Someone’s in trouble,” I said as soon as Dani answered.

  “I was about to call you. I just got off the phone with Jake.” Jake Cartwright was my boss, brother-in-law, and the leader of the search-and-rescue team. “There are two boys, one fifteen and the other sixteen. They’d been cross-country skiing at the foot of Cougar Mountain. Jake said they have a GPS lock on a phone belonging to one of the teens, so he isn’t anticipating a problem with the rescue.”

  The cab pulled up and I slipped inside. I instructed the driver to head to the airport, then answered Dani. “The boys dropped the phone, so Jake and the others are heading in the wrong direction”

  I slipped off my shoes as the cab sped away.

  “Do you know where they are?” Dani asked with a sound of panic in her voice.

  “In a cave.” I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the image in my head. “The cave’s shallow, but they’re protected from the storm.” I took off my heavy parka and pulled a pair of jeans out of my backpack. I cradled the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I slipped the jeans onto my bare legs.

  “Where’s the cave, Harm?”

  I closed my eyes once again and let the image come to me. “I’d say they’re about a quarter of a mile up the mountain.”

  “Are they okay?” Dani asked.

  I took a deep breath and focused my energy. There were times I wanted to run from the images and feelings that threatened to overwhelm and destroy me, but I knew embracing the pain and fear was my destiny as well as my burden. “They’re both scared, but only one of them is hurt. Call Jake and tell him to check the cave where we found Sitka,” I said, referring to our search-and-rescue dog, who Jake and I had found lost on the mountain when he was just a puppy. “And send someone for Moose.” I glanced out the window. The snow was getting heavier, and it wouldn’t be long before we would be forbidden from taking off. “I’m almost at the airport. Go ahead and warm up the bird. I should be there in two minutes.”

  I hung up the phone and placed it on the seat next to me. The driver swerved as I pulled my dress over my head and tossed it to one side. I knew the perve
rt was watching, but I didn’t have time to care as I pulled a thermal shirt out of my backpack, over my head, and across my bare chest.

  “What’s the ETA to the airport?” I demanded from the backseat.

  “Less than a minute.”

  “Go on around to the entrance for private planes. I have the code to get in the gate. My friend is waiting with a helicopter.”

  As the cab neared the entrance, I pulled on heavy wool socks and tennis shoes. I wished I had my snow boots with me, but the tennis shoes would have to do because the boots were too heavy to carry around all day.

  As soon as the cab stopped, I grabbed my phone, tossed some cash onto the front seat, and hopped out, leaving my dress and new heels behind.

  “You’ve forgotten your dress, miss.”

  “Keep it,” I said as I flung my backpack over my shoulder and took off at a full run for the helicopter. As soon as I got in, Dani took off. “Did you get hold of Jake?” I asked as I strapped myself in.

  “I spoke to Sarge. He’s manning the radio. He promised to keep trying to get through to Jake. The storm is intensifying at a steady rate. We need to find them.”

  “Moose?”

  “Sarge sent someone for him.”

  I looked out the window as we flew toward Rescue. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. The storm was getting stronger and I knew that when a storm blew in without much notice it caught everyone off guard, and the likelihood of a successful rescue decreased dramatically.

  The team I belonged to was one of the best anywhere, our survival record unmatched. Still, I’d learned at an early age that when you’re battling Mother Nature, even the best teams occasionally came out on the losing end. I picked up the team radio Dani had tucked into the console of her helicopter, pressed the handle, and hoped it would connect me to someone at the command post.