by Lucy Quinn
“Yes,” Dylan said.” But I was asking about the—”
“Super-sized deputy star?” Cookie finished for him.
“Yup,” Dylan said.
“I think that’s the new law in this town,” Cookie said as the woman locked eyes with her. Cookie’s heart sank. She tried really hard not to judge a book by its cover, but the fact this woman helicoptered into town for a memorial service screamed DRAMA LLAMA in capital letters. She tried to hold on to the hope that despite this woman’s theatrical entrance that perhaps she was a competent officer of the law too.
“June Loon!” the woman sang, holding her hand out to Cookie in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cookie James. I’ve heard so much about you.” She gripped Cookie’s fingers tightly and lowered her voice to a whisper as she petted the gold star pinned to her chest. “I’m the new deputy, and I’ve prepared your introduction for me.”
June turned to the tall, thin officer next to her. “Zeke.”
The man thrust a piece of paper into Cookie’s hands, and she began to read it.
“Well, hello,” June drawled as she spotted Hale on the stage staring at her in wonder. Or perhaps it was straight-up shock. “Come be a dear and help me up those stairs, would you?” she asked him.
There were two steps up to the stage. But June made them appear to be an entire flight with the way she latched onto Hale’s arm with one hand and pawed at his chest with the other, all while taking her sweet time maneuvering up the steps.
When she got onto the stage, she didn’t let go of Hale as she hooked her finger at Cookie and said, “I believe the natives are getting restless.”
Hale made a move to disengage from June, but she tightened her grip on him, holding the man in place.
Cookie frowned at the woman. She wasn’t about to be steamrolled by the new deputy in town. “They can hold on for a minute more.” She gave June her best saccharine smile. “You’ve given them something to talk about while they wait.”
June giggled. “I certainly have, haven’t I?”
Cookie shook her head and began to read the prepared speech, but she didn’t get past the part where June was born in a shanty on the island, at the top of an icy hill, in the middle of a cold night in January, without power, before Rain appeared at her side.
Rain had a vast range of emotions she displayed on a daily basis, but her current state was reserved for very special occasions. Cookie could count on one hand the number of times she’d witnessed it. As Rain plucked the dangly feather baubles she was wearing out of her earlobes and handed them over, Cookie realized Rain was spitting mad. “Hold my earrings, dear. This won’t be pretty.”
Chapter 27
Just as Rain was about to launch herself at June for a good old-fashioned cat fight, Dylan snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her back. “Dial it down a notch, Rain. Hale has no interest in June, and the poor woman hasn’t got any idea what she’s stepped into.”
“And that’s why I need to show her.” Rain thrashed as she growled out, “Lemme at her!” Dylan grunted as he struggled to keep her in check.
Scarlett, in her infinite wisdom and vast experience as a lawyer representing the shadier side of life, stepped in front of Rain and into her space. In a calm, but very stern voice Scarlett said, “You’re Queen Bee in this town, Rain. And nobody is going to steal that crown from you. Not on my watch. Got it?”
At that point a small crowd had gathered around them, and Winter pressed a lollipop into Rain’s hand as she whispered. “Suck on this, honey. It’ll help.”
Hale had finally escaped June’s clutches and pushed his way into the circle. Rain glared at him. “Now, Sweet Cheeks,” he cooed. “You know I think you hung the sun.” He held out his hand. “Come on, let’s go sit down.”
Rain stuck the lollipop in her mouth and sucked loudly before she reluctantly took Hale’s hand, muttering, “I hung the moon.” She turned to Cookie and Scarlett and said, “He’s not that smart.” And then Cookie knew Rain was okay, because her mother placed her hand on Hale’s backside, winked, and added, “But you know I don’t mind teaching them to read in the morning.”
“Whew,” Scarlett said. “One crisis averted.”
“Now on to the next one.” Cookie grabbed Scarlett’s arm. “Come with me.” She and Scarlett marched up to the stage where June, having apparently ignored Rain’s outburst, was instructing Zeke on how to lower the microphone.
“June,” Cookie said, paper rustling as she waved the speech. “I’ve just come up with a brilliant idea.” She turned to her friend. “Scarlett writes for the Secret Seal Times, and she’d love to take this information and do an article about you.” When June’s brow knit with her displeasure, Cookie said, “You know how short peoples’ attention spans are these days.” She sighed dramatically. “Words go in one ear and out the other. But the written word…” She paused for effect. “Well, that’s forever. I think your introduction to the town as their new deputy deserves it. Don’t you?”
“Well, I don’t know,” June mused.
Cookie jumped in before the new deputy could begin to make a case for herself. “Besides, it’s really Deputy Swan we’re focusing on today. I’m sure you understand.”
“Do I ever,” June grumbled. “He was my big brother, and I’m here to give his eulogy.”
Cookie and Scarlett looked at each other in shock. Cookie seized the moment, because she was thrilled not to give Swan’s eulogy, and she stepped in front of the mic before June could object.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Cookie called out. She waited for the crowd to settle down. “It’s my pleasure to introduce to you June Loon. She’s Deputy Swan’s sister, and has come to help us pay our respects.” She turned to June and said, “June,” before she moved out of the way to let the woman take over. She went and sat in her seat in the first row between Dylan and Scarlett.
June’s voice was shrill, and the sound system squawked as she began. “Good morning, everyone! Goodness, look at all of you. It’s so nice to be home.” She giggled. “Barney Johnson? Is that you? Almost didn’t recognize that cue ball of yours. Such a pity, you really had a lion’s mane in the day.” As Barney’s face turned red she moved on. “And Nancy Morris, my gosh.” She chuckled. “I bet you won’t be squeezing into that cheerleader uniform for our reunion now, will you?”
Nancy glared at her as June said, “Oh dear, I’ve gone off on a tangent, haven’t I? Let’s get to the business at hand.” June yammered on about her vast achievements, and Cookie tuned her out. She was about to gossip with Scarlett when her friend said, “Ah, Cookie. Don’t look now, but one of those cameras is from WCVB. That’s Boston’s news station.”
Cookie’s heart stopped, and ice filled her veins as she pictured the sneering face of mob boss, Vinny DeMasi. Once she’d put him away for life he sworn he’d kill Cookie for what she’d done. Because of the danger, she’d chosen to resign from her position at the bureau. She and her mother had moved to Secret Seal Isle to hide. How could she have been so careless? She’d gotten so used to her quiet life and feeling safe in her sleepy little town that she’d let her guard down. Heck, she’d forgotten she even had one. She croaked out, “Were they taping when I spoke?”
Scarlett nodded. “I’m pretty sure they were. You and Rain need to get out of here. Now.”
“But—” She glanced at Dylan and saw his brow was knit in confusion.
“Go!” Scarlett urged. “Dylan and I will take care of this.”
The moment Cookie began to walk she clicked into agent mode, and she moved quickly to get to Rain. When the two of them first relocated to the island, Rain had suggested they have a secret hand signal for SOS. Cookie had agreed, mostly to humor her mother, but right now she wanted to kiss Rain for it. When Cookie got to the aisle where her mother was seated, she captured Rain’s attention and lifted up her thumb and pinky to wiggle them in the surfer’s traditional hang-ten gesture.
Rain immediately hopped up and squeezed her
way out as she said, “Bird in the oven. You can’t leave those things unattended for long.”
They rushed outside to the truck, and once Rain slammed her door, Cookie said, “Mom, I wasn’t thinking. When I spoke before the town a few minutes ago, a Boston news camera captured it.”
“Oh, honey.” Rain reached over and placed her hand on Cookie’s arm. “Do we need to run? I’m ready.” Cookie marveled at her mother’s ability to switch gears in an instant. But she’d always known when it came down to it, Rain could be trusted to do whatever was necessary for them to stay alive. Her mother added, “I just switched out the medicinals in my go bag yesterday. I made you a little goodie bag too, just in case.”
Not once had Cookie partaken in any of Rain’s goodies, but that never stopped her mother from making sure they were available to her daughter if the need arose. And honestly, medicinals sounded good to Cookie right about now. She half wished Rain had still been sucking on her lollipop so she could have some too, because that might take the edge off her panic. “We don’t need to run yet,” she said. “Scarlett and Dylan are going to try to get the tapes, and we may be fine.”
“Dylan?” her mother asked.
Dylan. Cookie sighed. She’d known that eventually she’d have to fill in the blanks about her past to Dylan, but she’d hoped it would be in a manner that let him know she trusted him, not because she had no choice. She supposed now was as good a time as any, though, because the fact he was involved with Cookie on a romantic level put him in danger. Telling him everything was long past due.
When she pulled up to the inn, tears filled Cookie’s eyes. She gazed at the quaint Victorian on the sea, shining in the late afternoon sun. The porch swing swayed in the wind, inviting her to go sit and savor a warm cup of cocoa as she enjoyed the sea air. It had become her oasis, and she knew Rain loved their home just as much. “What have I done, Mom?”
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Rain said with the confidence in her voice Cookie needed to hear. She knew that no matter where she and Rain might have to land, they’d have each other. They’d have Hunter and Scarlett too. But what they’d lose would be the friends they’d made on the island they both now called home. And… Cookie’s heart felt as if Vinny DeMasi had it in his meaty fist and was squeezing as hard as he could. Because if they had to run, she’d have to leave Dylan behind.
“Right,” she said in resigned voice. “Nothing we can’t handle.”
She could leave the inn forever.
She could leave Secret Seal Isle forever too.
But Dylan? Her heart ached, knowing she wouldn’t recover if she lost him. And in that moment, she knew she had a choice to make if she wanted to be free from Vinny DeMasi: run, or fight for everything she had at the risk of endangering the people she loved.
Previous Secret Seal Isle Mysteries
New Corpse in Town
Life in the Dead Lane
A Walk on the Dead Side
Any Way You Bury It
Death is in the Air
Signed, Sealed, Fatal I’m Yours
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Coming Soon: Knocking on Death’s Door
About the Author
Lucy Quinn is the brainchild of New York Times bestselling author Deanna Chase and USA Today bestselling author Violet Vaughn. Having met over a decade ago in a lampwork bead forum, the pair were first what they like to call “show wives” as they traveled the country together, selling their handmade glass beads. So when they both started writing fiction, it seemed only natural for the two friends to pair up with their hilarious, laugh-out-loud, cozy mysteries. At least they think so. Now they travel the country, meeting up in various cities to plan each new Lucy Quinn book while giggling madly at themselves and the ridiculous situations they force on their characters. They very much hope you enjoy them as much as they do.
Deanna Chase, is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, or making glass beads.
Violet Vaughn lives on an island in Maine where she spends most mornings in the woods with her dogs, summer at the ocean, and winters skiing in the mountains.
www.lucyquinnauthor.com
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