Murder at the Geo-Cache...A Citrus Beach Mystery (Citrus Beach Mysteries Book 3)

by Victoria LK Williams

  The sign was a new edition, design by her daughter, and built by her cousin, Paul. They had installed it on the gate after Hurricane Arlene had hit the area. They’d suffered only minimal damage, but the hurricane had left a lot of areas needing some touch-up painting. The front gate was one of those. As long as they were painting, Emma thought that it was a perfect time for the property to adapt a logo and announced it to the world.

  Once both cars pulled into the driveway, they separated. Megan pulled in front of her home, while Aiden followed the pavement to the converted barn and the apartment above. They had made plans to meet in the morning for breakfast. Aiden walked up the stairs to his apartment, mentally detailing his next day; he was an extremely organized man and like to know his agenda ahead of time.

  Meanwhile, Megan opened the front door to her home, greeted by the excited barks of her beagle, Barney, and her daughter’s old Basset hound, Fred. Emma had been out-of-state for college the last two years, and old Fred had been left behind. Recent events that had put her mother in danger, convinced Emma to transfer back to Florida and continue her studies at a local university. She’d found a small apartment she was sharing with a friend, Taylor Jamison. Unfortunately, the apartment did not allow animals, so Fred stayed with Megan. He had to make do with constant visits from Emma. They were all hoping that soon the two girls would find a larger home that would allow animals and give the girls more freedom from rules and regulations.

  Picking up one of the two cats that wandered to her side to find out what all the commotion was about, Megan saw the blinking light on her answering machine and walked over to listen to her messages. She smiled, hearing the voice of her daughter.

  "Hi Mom, hope everything went well at Aiden's party. I'm really sorry that Taylor and I couldn’t make it. We will be back in town tomorrow, and I will have the final information we need for the fundraiser. Can we all meet out at Charlotte's tomorrow around 2:00? I want to show you what we came up with and to finalize the last of the plans. I can't believe it's this weekend. Until then, give Fred a hug for me. I love you, Mom. See you tomorrow."

  Megan sighed at Emma's reminder of the weekend’s plans. There was still so much to do, but she had plenty of helpers. The fundraiser differed completely from anything Citrus Beach had ever done in the past, but she was sure that everybody would enjoy it and get behind it 100%. After all, she’d already sold all the advertising spaces to the local merchants for the event. They had enough pledges of donations to reach their intended goals. Not wanting to bother Emma with a phone call, she simply sent a text message, confirming she would meet her at Charlotte's the next day.

  Wide awake after listening to the message, Megan grabbed the keys to her office and called to both dogs to go for a walk. It wouldn't hurt to go over her notes one more time to be sure everything was covered on her end. The two dogs were thrilled to get in one extra walk for the night and Barney ran ahead of her towards the office. Fred followed by her side at a more leisurely pace, fitting for his old age. Entering her office, Megan flipped on the light and left the outside door open with the screen door closed to keep out the bugs. She loved the sounds of the night, and the tree frogs were in full concert mode tonight. It was relaxing to spend time in her office, this was her creative spot.

  The building was made of two large rooms, the front served as her office and relaxation area. It was decorated in a nautical theme, and there were beautiful paintings by the famous Florida Highwaymen, that depicted scenes of an older, wilder Florida landscape. Comfortable rattan furniture filled most of the room and a custom desk made from an old wood plank sat under the front window, giving Megan a view of her gardens as she sat there. The back room was a large conference room with a small kitchenette. This is where Megan concentrated on her landscape drawings, creating private and personalized gardens for her clients.

  She had started out doing personalized gardening services, but with the demands of her clients, it developed into so much more. The concierge business evolved out of the needs of three of Megan's longtime clients. Over the years, her business had grown to the point where she employed a full time staff and often hired in subcontractors and seasonal help. Megan was grateful for her success, and as a result, worked hard to give back to her community. The current fundraiser she was working on now was a perfect example. She was looking forward to it not only because it was the season kick-off event, but also because it differed from any of the past events. Pulling out her folder full of notes and agendas, Megan sat down in the thick cushions of the sofa, Barney and Fred settled down in their doggy bed by the desk. They knew from experience they might be there for a while.

  Chapter 3

  Thursday, the week before

  Last night, Aiden had seen the lights go on in Megan’s office, tempting him to walk over to check on her. But he’d stopped himself. They had been through a lot a few months earlier and twice Megan was put at risk, almost a deadly risk. Her need to find the answers to a murder she had witnessed was more than most could handle. But then she had gotten involved another mystery involving a man with no memories and the attempts on his life. She was recovering well; not showing the fear and jumpiness that she did a month ago. Aiden knew it would be best if he left her be. She needed to build up her courage naturally with no one hovering around her. If he was honest with himself, this was one of the reasons he was in no hurry to find another apartment to rent. His presence on the property also put her family at ease, knowing Megan wasn’t out here by herself.

  So, he kept an eye out for her, and like last night, gave her the space when she needed it. He was perfectly aware of when she closed up her office and headed back over to her home. He knew when she turned in for the night. He wasn’t stalking her, but he was there if she needed him. Thanks to his years of working for the FBI, he always knew what was going on around him. Once he knew she was safe for the night, he turned his full attention to the case notes in front of him, a referral from the FBI, involving the fancy swindling of a select group of successful investors.

  Megan got an early start to her day, and even managing to get in a quick run around the property, Barney happily keeping pace with her. As she ran, she mentally checked off the tasks that were completed, and prayed that everything would go perfectly.

  She waved to Aiden as she went by the apartment and saw him sitting on the upper balcony, enjoying his morning paper. But she had no time to stop and talk, she had a to-do list a mile long for the upcoming event.

  Seeing Aiden made her smile, he was her inspiration behind this year’s fundraiser’s theme, even if he wasn’t aware of it. The combination of his habitually getting lost and Emma’s telling her about a fun event at college had set Megan’s mind whirling and planning.

  The seasonal kickoff wasn’t just a social event, it also raised funds for Citrus Beach’s community causes. Megan felt that if people could see where their donations would go, then they would be more willing to donate. So Megan formed the idea of a Community Geo-cache Event.

  It was a clever idea, or at least she thought so. Soon she had others on board with her and a committee to run the event. The participating teams would each be given a list of clues and coordinates, from there they would have to visit each site. As they reached each site, they would have to sign the log book and pick up a clue to the next site. In traditional geo-cache games, the player is often required to leave a token at the site to prove that they were there. Megan planned on having the participants leaving their donation at each site -and that donation would go into the fund raising coffers of the community cause that each site represented. The final clue would lead them to the private estate of Carol Bloomquest for a catered dinner and dance.

  Megan, with Emma’s help and guidance, had selected five sites. They planned that two sites would be visited during the morning, the third at lunch time, where there would be a picnic for everyone, and then the last two in the afternoon. Each of the sites would have a hidden cache to find, as well as information a
nd a representative for each cause on hand to answer questions and take donations. To encouraged players to take their time and socialize as they went from site to site, there’d also be a tent with snacks and beverages each stop.

  It had been fun figuring out what sites to use and it was all very hush-hush so that no one had any advantages. On the day of the event, participants would meet at Megan’s for a Continental breakfast and to receive their instructions. Then, each team would start their geo-cache adventure from a different location to ensure that no two teams were at the cache site at the same time. Megan and her team of volunteers were planning on setting everything up late on Friday, and everyone was sworn to secrecy.

  The meeting at Charlotte's ended, everyone’s final assignments were handed out, and last minute details were seen too. Charlotte and Carol happily took on planning of the dinner dance, meaning Megan would not have to worry about any of the evening activities. So far, everything was going exactly as planned, and Megan was thrilled. The summer had been filled with enough stress and unplanned events, she was more than ready to kick off the fall season and get back to her normal way of life.

  Megan’s run ended at her pool terrace, where a hot and happy dog jumped into the pool without invitation to cool himself off. Megan laughed at his antics, but decided to forgo a dip in the pool herself. Calling Barney, she dried him off with a beach towel and then went in the house to grab a quick shower. She would have time to relax and enjoy the pool after Saturday’s big event.

  Chapter 4

  Saturday

  It wasn’t even 6 am, but Megan was over at her office, setting up the coffee tent for the geo- cache teams to enjoy while they were waiting for their packet of instructions and the official start of the hunt. Her staff had set up the tent and tables the night before. Megan was pleased to see they had even decorated with fall leaves and pumpkins around the posts of the tent and the small podium where she would stand to give the final directions. So far everything was going as planned, and she had felt the excitement from her committee at their final meeting. Now, Megan could hardly contain her nerves, as she mentally went over the day’s agenda. She was double checking the team packets when she heard someone walking towards her. Turning towards the sound, she smiled as Aiden approached, empty coffee cup in hand.

  "Is there any chance that coffee is going to be ready any time soon?" Aiden asked as he came up to her.

  "I think it needs about five minutes, then I'll be happy to pour you a cup," she answered with a laugh at the pleading in his voice.

  Aiden took in all the work that had been accomplished yesterday by the volunteers who had been working so hard. He was impressed at how well they had all worked together, fueled by the desire to do something for the community. He was finding out there was more to living in a small town than peaceful days and quiet nights; there was a strong sense of unity here. Everyone had helped however they could to make sure that this fundraiser would be a complete success.

  "So you think you're already for today? Everything seems so well organized and everybody seems to know what their part in the day’s events will be, I just don't see how anything can go wrong."

  "Good Lord, Aiden, don't jinx us! There is always something that can go wrong. All we can do is hope it's not going to be anything major, or that's something we can easily fix. This isn’t the time to worry about that; we’re just about ready to start. Now it's time to relax and enjoy all of our hard work. By the way, are you sure you don't want to join one of the teams? As my sidekick, today will be hard work. I can't promise that you’ll have any time to relax and enjoy the activities."

  Aiden shook his head and pulled Megan in for a quick hug before he answered her.

  "There's nothing I'd like better than to be your sidekick today. We’ll both have a chance to have fun and relaxed tonight at the party. I'm at your beck and call to make your day easier. So what are my first instructions?"

  Megan laughed, then returned his hug and pointed to his mug.

  "Well, since you put it that way, check on the coffee pot? I would love a cup, too, if you don't mind."

  The two of them enjoyed a few short moments in silence as they watched the morning come to life. Before they’d finished their cups of coffee, the first of the volunteers arrived and the morning was off in full swing. Aiden stayed in the background, watching and listening as Megan answered questions and directed people to their assigned tasks. She was able to maintain order as more and more people arrived.

  The next time Megan glanced at her watch, she was shocked to see it was already 8:00. Emma and Taylor had arrived and taken over setting up the food. The girls were also making sure that the participants were not trying to sneak any information about where the geo-cache locations would be. The atmosphere was full of excitement and good natured teasing. Aiden was not at all surprised to find a few of the more competitive citizens of Citrus Beach making side bets on who would complete the task first, but it was all in fun.

  Megan wandered around speaking to different people, thanking them for coming, joining in the teasing and bantering with her friends. She was pleased to realize that they had been successful in keeping the locations secret. This was sure to bring out a competitive streak at all, and make for a great day. Before she knew it, Emma was up at the podium, calling for everyone's attention. It was time to give final directions and hand out instruction packets. As Emma finished speaking, she motioned her mother to come to the podium and introduced her to a round of applause.

  "Good morning, everyone. I want to welcome you all to Citrus Beach’s ‘Geo-Caching for Charity’ and the first official function of our fall season! I hear a lot of excitement in the air and it sounds like everybody is ready to start. Emma has given you all your instructions and you'll find that there are plenty of volunteers that can help along the way. I do just want to give you a heads up; each of your packets is different from the next. So comparing notes will not help anyone achieve their goal any faster. And just to make things a little bit more interesting, you may find that there are surprises in your packets and false leads.”

  Barely pausing for a breath, Megan continued with her directions. “It is important that you keep the phone and GPS tracker we have provided for you on at all times. You just never know when we will send you a message about bonus surprises or changes in locations. The idea is to keep it fresh, fun and exciting. We want to keep you all on your toes. At each site you will have the opportunity to spend some time socializing, resting and discovering what each of the charities are about. We encourage you to not rush through the day, but to enjoy everything to its fullest.”

  “Now, if everybody will take your packet, and open them, your first clue is inside. May the best team win."

  With Megan's final words, the game officially started. She looked over her daughter, exchanging a grin of conspiracy. Neither one of them had told anyone else about the false leads and surprises that the teams may encounter as they began their quest. The two of them had conspired with the shopkeepers along Main Street to hand out door prizes and mystery gifts throughout the day. Participants would use their tracking instructions and find their way to the shops, they’d then be sent to the real destination. The distractions were all in good fun and were offset by coordinates that would lead them to other sites that were dead ends. Instead, they would find new coordinates that would send the team to their actual geo-cache location. Megan was thrilled that she’d been able to keep the secret between just her and Emma. She could feel a new sense of adventure in the air from the participants. She hoped this would create a day-long event, keeping everyone entertained and in good spirits until the evening party.

  Turning to Aiden with a pleased smile, Megan held out her hand for him to take. With her other hand she pointed towards her home.

  "It seems like Emma and Taylor have everything in hand here, so we have a chance to slip away. Why don't you and I visit a few of the sites? Just to make sure there's no unexpected problems. I want to start do
wntown first, so I can thank each of the shopkeepers for helping out and give them a head’s up that the hunt has started."

  Aiden took Megan's hand and agreed, please he would have a few moments alone with her before the inevitable questions and distractions for the day began. They waved to Emma and Taylor as they left, and soon they were pulling out of Megan's driveway heading towards downtown.

  It was a beautiful morning, with just a slight breeze hinting at the coolness of fall weather. Traffic was fairly light, and Megan assumed that was because there were so many participants at the starting point on her property. Megan directed Aiden to first of the shops she wanted to visit, and before long she was telling the shopkeepers good morning and thanking them for their participation.

  It didn't take long for Megan to make her way from shop to shop, engaging in small-talk before moving to the next person. As she finished speaking with the last shop owner, she turned to Aiden and suggested that they go out and visit one of the sites.

  "So what will it be, Aiden? Where would you like to go to first?"

  "Normally we would have Barney with us and I would automatically say that the dog park should be first on our list. But since we've elected to leave him behind today, how about the Yacht Club?"

  "That's perfect. It's just down the street and easy to get in and out of. You'll be amazed at the displays Paul helped build to showcase the work of their charity. I have to admit I've lived here for so many years and I didn't even realize all the work they do."

  "I will admit I have an ulterior motive for wanting to go to the Yacht Club."

  "Oh? I can't imagine why you, of all people, would have an alternative motive," laughed Megan.