by Molly Dox
Something Fishy
Poppy Pepper’s Paradise Cove and Mini Golf
Molly Dox
Copyright 2014, Molly Dox
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Something fishy is going on. When one of the town locals turns up dead, Poppy can’t help but nose in. After all, she was the one who stumbled onto the crime scene. Unable to resist snooping around, she set out to solve the crime. Suspicions run high as Poppy fingers three suspects worth checking out.
Will Poppy be able to get them talking, or will they clam up? When she finds herself floundering like a fish out of water, she’s forced to get creative. Set in balmy Central Florida, "Something Fishy" is perfect for a light weekend read. This cozy mystery is family friendly with no foul language, no blood, and no sex. “Something Fishy” is book 2 in the ‘Poppy Pepper’s Paradise Cove and Mini Golf’ series.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 1
If Panda wasn’t so choosy, Poppy would have gone to the grocery store that day. Instead, she headed straight to Sal’s seafood market. It was Panda’s birthday after all, and since he was coming over to celebrate she wanted to do right by him.
Making a Low Country Boil consisted of Andouille sausage, shrimp, and corn on the cob. She boiled it together in a big pot of water with some Old Bay, and then strained and dumped the assortment on a newspaper covered picnic table. It was a feast of finger food that had been a family favorite for ages.
Poppy pulled up to the seafood market and parked her black Chevy Trailblazer. She gave it a pat on the dashboard. She’d almost traded her truck for a newer Equinox, but decided to hold out a little bit longer. The truck had done her well, and while she had a solid 90,000 miles on it, she wasn’t quite ready to move on yet.
Poppy opened the door to the little seafood market. Bells chimed letting the owner know he had a customer. After waiting a bit, she rang the small silver bell on the counter. Ding! Sometimes he was in the back cleaning up or fileting fish. Poppy waited, but Sal never showed up.
She hadn’t taken notice of it at first, but the smell of seafood was stronger than usual. Poppy crinkled her nose. She turned and glanced at the display case. That was odd. Something was off. Normally, there were piles of ice in the display with the fish and seafood, keeping it chilled. Almost all of the ice had melted. At this time of day, it would normally be full. None of the ice had been replaced. She glanced at her watch. It was still early, easily before noon. Poppy looked around and called out. “Sal? Are you back there?”
Poppy leaned over the butcher block counter near the register, trying to see behind it. There was a batch of scallops sitting on butcher paper waiting to be wrapped. That was weird. There were no other customers in the shop. “Sal?” Poppy called out to him again and waited.
Taking a deep breath, she breached the line between the customer’s side of the counter and the employees. Stepping forward, she continued to call out to him. Still nothing. On the table toward the back, metal utensils were splayed everywhere. What happened?
Poppy stopped and looked down. Utensils and some sort of flour and bread crumbs were scattered. If she looked closely, she could see the faint outline of a shoe. Was it Sal’s, or did something happen? Did he have a heart attack and stumble and fall? Poppy ran to the back, looking for the owner.
She still didn’t find him. She followed tiny shreds of bread crumb and a light dusting of flour that must have stuck to the person’s shoe. They led to the back door. Not wanting to touch anything, Poppy called out again looking for Sal. When he still didn’t answer, Poppy called the cops. Something happened. There were signs of a struggle, signs that he hadn’t been there in a while, and the store was left open and unoccupied. If he had to run out, surely he would have locked up the shop.
When the police arrived, they investigated the scene and took a few pictures of the shoe prints, as well as dusted for fingerprints on the back door. With so many overlapping from continual use, they tried dusting for footprints. Again, they found a similar shape as the print found on the floor.
Poppy was led out of the store and thanked for her time after a list of questions of what she saw, what she heard, or what she might know. She hoped Sal was okay, but things weren’t looking good.
***
It was Reggie’s day off. He loved being a sheriff, but loved his time off more. With only one thing on his mind during the gorgeous stretch of weather they’d been having, he loaded up his fishing gear and headed to the lake. He got lost in thought when he’d go fishing, and currently was building up the drive to clean out and sell the house he’d shared with his wife for many years. After she passed, he knew he couldn’t live there. He’d taken up residency at Poppy Pepper’s Paradise Cove and Mini Golf resort during the past year. He’d put off selling the house and dealing with sorting through Gracie Jane’s stuff as long as he could.
Reggie settled in to his favorite spot and cast his line. It was a lazy day. He waited for a tug on the line. In the meantime, he enjoyed the puffy white clouds that passed by. Reggie reeled in his line and recast. Reaching over to his little travel cooler, he pulled out a bottle of lemonade he’d packed alongside the soda and water. He never knew if he’d stay all day or just for a short bit, but he liked to be prepared. He’d packed a sandwich and pretzels too in case it turned into an all-day affair. If the weather was right, it was easy to pass away the hours.
Reggie started to reel in his line, only this time it was stuck. The muck at the bottom of some of the local lakes liked to tangle in the line time to time. He gave a swift tug to try and loosen the grip that the lake’s growth had on his line. With a final yank, it gave way. Reeling it in, he saw a wet, matted ‘something’ on the hook. What was it?
Curiosity had him reeling in a little faster. Picking up the line a few inches above the hook, he shook his head. Was that a…toupee? What was a toupee doing in the lake? Maybe a boater lost it to the wind. He pulled it off the hook and started to cast again when it hit him. What if there was a body attached to the toupee? His color drained. He knew what he had to do.
He gauged how far out it might be and how deep. He was pretty sure this lake didn’t run more than fifteen feet deep, but that was surely taller than he was. Even with wading boots, it would go over his head. Besides, you never knew which lakes there were alligators in. The general rule was that if there’s water, there might be a gator. Deciding to be safe, rather than sorry, Reggie put a call into dispatch telling him about his latest find.
It was a long day. When they pulled Sal’s body from the lake, it answered one question, but brought up others. While Sal Tessiterrio was no longer missing, why was he sleeping with the fish?
Chapter 2
“You won’t believe the day I had,” Poppy sighed, settling into one of the chairs in front of the resort office. Her father sat on another. “I was over at the seafood market, and it looks like something bad happened. I ended up having to call the police. Sal was nowhere to be found, and it looks like there was some kind of struggle or something.”
“You know he tried to kill me once. Gave me bad crabs,” he grumbled.
“He did not give you bad crabs, Dad.” Poppy sho
ok her head. “Anyway, I called the cops. They wrapped that yellow crime tape around the market and are treating it as a crime scene. I can’t believe it. I wonder what happened. I hope he’s okay.”
“Sounds fishy to me,” Martin said, laughing at his own pun.
“Dad, that’s tacky,” she scolded.
As Reggie pulled his truck into the resort, he stopped at the office on seeing Poppy and Martin. Hopping out, he greeted his friends. “You wouldn’t believe the day I had.”
“You too? What’s going on? This one over here just said the same thing,” Martin said pointing to his daughter.
“What happened?” Poppy asked, anxious to share her news with Reggie.
Reggie shoved his hands in his pockets. “I was out fishing at the lake and I hooked something. Long story short, it was Sal, the guy from the seafood market.”
Poppy raised an eyebrow. “You don’t say. I was at the fish market today. I was going to pick up some shrimp, and Sal was nowhere to be found. There was some kind of scuffle there. Oh dear, poor Sal. I had a feeling something bad happened when I saw the mess. I called the police. It looked like there was a struggle. I can’t believe he’s dead.”
“What did you see?” Reggie lifted his sunglasses off and watched Poppy as she spoke.
“There were metal utensils scattered all over the floor, sort of like they were knocked over. The ice in the display case was melted, and he had some stuff on the counter he was wrapping up and never finished. It’s like he was interrupted. Then there was flour and breadcrumbs on the floor. I’m guessing with the struggle some things were knocked over. There was a partial footprint, and some of the breadcrumbs stuck to the shoe or something, and left a small trail to the back door. Anyway, the scene is all taped up now, so I can’t check to see if there’s anything else that I might have missed. It’s been on my mind all day.”
“I can imagine,” Reggie said. “I’m going to get washed up, and I’ll stop back later. I still need a few minutes to absorb all of this.”
“Sure thing; I’ll look for you.” Poppy smiled. She liked talking to Reggie. They’d grown a close friendship in the time he’d spent at the resort. At almost a year, he was like family now. Ever since Gracie Jane had died, he called Paradise Cove and Mini Golf his home. It was supposed to be temporary, but then he just sort of stuck around. He was the second guest to stick around permanently. Chopper, the stray cat, was the other.
Palmetto Keys, the small town outside of Orlando, rarely saw much action. Lately, it was getting more attention than Poppy liked. She preferred when things were quiet. Okay, well, maybe she did like the excitement of figuring out a puzzle like why the seafood market guy was killed, but she’d take quiet and boring just the same.
Slapping her thigh, Poppy vented. “Fudge! I should have checked around back to see if his truck was still there. I should go look. I didn’t even think of it. I still can’t believe he’s dead. It feels so weird. I just saw him a couple of weeks ago.”
“Don’t you have enough to worry about? You’re not getting involved in this are you?” Martin glared at his daughter.
“I’m already part of it. I’m the one that called the police. I’m a witness to the crime scene,” Poppy corrected. “Besides, who will it hurt if I poke around a little bit? Oh, and Panda is coming over for dinner tonight. Maybe he’ll have heard something.”
Martin stood and stretched. “I’m going in to watch TV. Let me know when Panda gets here.”
“Will do,” Poppy said, as her father headed inside.
When Reggie got back, he settled into the chair where Martin was sitting earlier. “What time is Panda coming around?”
“After six,” she said. “He went out with some friends this afternoon to celebrate his birthday. He’ll come here for dinner, and then hit the town with the guys again. I think they’re doing one of the Irish pubs in Orlando.”
“Were you able to find what you were looking for?” Reggie stretched his legs out in front of him.
“Yeah, you’ve got to love Ebay,” she answered. “It’s even got the certificate of authentication.”
“Very nice, he’ll be thrilled. I picked him up a few odds and ends.”
Poppy smiled softly. “That’s sweet of you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Aww, come on, we’re almost family,” he said with a laugh.
“True,” she agreed.
When Panda showed up, he had one thing to say. “I don’t know, I wasn’t working today, and yes I heard the news.”
Chapter 3
Cherry Jones, one of the snowbirds from up north was fit to be tied. “I swear, that guy at the seafood market tried to rip me off the other day. He put his finger on the scale while he was weighing my scallops. I called him out on it, and he swore I was crazy. Thanks, but no thanks. I’m glad you like going there, but I’ll stick to the grocery store from now on. I’ll just buy frozen or eat out at a seafood restaurant.”
Poppy stood at the counter of the office, listening to Cherry rant. Of all the people and all the times, Cherry seemed to have a knack for being in the mix of trouble. She got scallops at the seafood market and was angry with Sal? “When were you over at the fish store?”
“Thursday afternoon,” she said. “Well, I gave him a piece of my mind and stormed out of there, refusing to pay for the scallops. I’m not a fool. Besides, I ended up finding this cute little place and stopped in for a glass of wine and some pick and peel, so it all worked out. Either way, I wanted to tell you, in case he’s been cheating you all this time.”
“Thanks, but I’ve had good service there. I’m sorry things didn’t quite work out.” Poppy’s mind was ticking. Thursday afternoon. She was at the store early Saturday, and Friday if something had happened, somebody else would have noticed it by then. So Thursday he was alive when Cherry was there, but by Saturday, he was gone and the shop was still open.
She’d poke around during his memorial service. She wanted to pay her respects, but was curious who would be showing up and why.
“Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know,” she said. “I’m heading to the coast for a few days. I’m thinking a view of the ocean is just what I’m in the mood for.”
Poppy noticed the bandage on Cherry’s finger. “What happened to your hand? Are you okay?”
“Oh, this thing?” She shook her head. “I just need to be more careful. I almost took off the tip of my finger slicing up some lemons and limes for my water.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. Enjoy the ocean; I love listening to the waves. I haven’t been to the beach in too long.” She loved the beaches in Florida, both on the gulf coast and the ocean side. When she was younger, she took more time out to visit them, but lately, she barely had time for herself.
As Cherry headed out, Poppy went to check the calendar hanging on the wall. This month’s picture was a basset hound puppy. The previous month showcased a litter of golden retrievers in a laundry basket. If there was an autopsy, then that would change the timing of the funeral. Obviously there wouldn’t be an open casket in this situation, but if she could place it, she’d guess the memorial service would be on Friday with the funeral on Saturday. Would Sal’s killer make an appearance or stay far away?
**
Reggie entered the office wearing a determined look. “Well, I think I’m going to work on the house. It’s time. Would you be available next weekend? I’m guessing this weekend we’ll be looking at a funeral.”
The essence of his woodsy cologne clung to Reggie’s clothing. Poppy breathed in, inhaling the manly scent. He sure did smell nice. “Sure, I’ll help. I definitely need to go to the funeral to pay my respects.” She said nothing about wanting to snoop, but Reggie knew her well enough, that she didn’t have to say it. Besides, it would be tacky to say it out loud.
Reggie was a rugged six feet tall, had a solid build, and had earned the lines and creases around his eyes. He was the kind of man some would call a man’s man. As for his wrinkles, they neve
r mattered to Reggie. He simply labeled them as years of experience. He never looked for the easy way out of things, and worked hard for what he had. He wore his hair short in a crew cut that had grown into not quite a crew cut. It was called, not making time for the barber shop. He’d fallen out of a solid pattern over time after his wife passed. As long as he had a neat and clean appearance, it worked just fine for him. No facial hair was part of the job. Rules had relaxed over the years, but when he started, a man that had whiskers showing was sent home to shave them off. He’d stayed clean shaven for most of his career. There was one winter he attempted to grow a beard, but his wife howled and complained until he shaved it off calling it patchy. He smiled thinking back on Gracie Jane. They were good years. He missed her. She was gone way too soon. He never thought he’d outlive her, but here it was almost a year later. Lonely sucked. At least staying at Paradise Cove helped ease some of the loneliness, and then there was Poppy. He’d grown attached to her over the last year, more than he’d intended to.
Florida was home. Now Paradise Cove and Mini Golf became home too. He obviously couldn’t stay there forever, but he had no idea where he wanted to live otherwise. Once he sold his house, he’d figure out the rest of the details of his life. Cleaning through Gracie Jane’s stuff was going to be rough, but with some help from friends it would make the job easier. Plus, enough time had passed to ease some of the pain.
“So, let’s plan for the following weekend, and I’ll see about hiring some college kids to do some of the heavier hauling. I’m going to get a big dumpster and spend the week going through paperwork and stuff, sort out what I want to keep and toss the rest. I’ll donate whatever furniture I can. I’m not interested in storing stuff. I just want the job done.” His voice was deep and a little gravely from all the years he’d smoked. He traded smoking for a jelly bean habit during the past year. He wished he’d stopped smoking when his wife was still alive, but he never got there.
