Eve Lloyd’s A Deadline Cozy Mystery Box Set 2

by Sonia Parin

  Helena smiled. “The Bugle kept us all up to date. In fact, there was a special daily column devoted to your trip. Didn’t you know?”

  Eve managed to blink, but no words came to mind. No one had mentioned it. Not even Jill.

  Helena gave a small shrug. “There I was having my breakfast and reading the Bugle when your name popped up.”

  “Which page?”

  “Front page. It covered your arrival and first day on the cruise.”

  “But... how?” Had Jill passed on the information?

  “Circulation went up on the second day,” Helena continued, “We had people coming in from the mainland to buy it. And those who couldn’t get a copy, queued up at the Chin Wag Café to read it there. Cynthia did a roaring trade. Rumor has it, William read about it and paid the island a visit. Within a few hours, he’d purchased the Bugle.”

  She’d been used as bait to catch the big fish and...

  He’d received the warm welcome.

  “I feel cheated,” she mouthed the words.

  “Pardon?” Helena asked.

  “Oh, nothing. Here comes Jill.” Eve guessed it was her turn to chaperone her.

  “So, any opinions about the town chronicler?” Jill asked.

  Eve frowned. “Are you actively encouraging me to express my opinions or are you testing me? It’s hard to tell.”

  Jill gave her an impish smile. “I had no idea you were so sensitive.”

  Eve gave her a lifted eyebrow look that spoke of disdain. “I could say the same about the entire population of Rock-Maine Island.”

  “Touché. Are we friends again?” Jill asked.

  “That depends. Did you know about the Bugle running a daily column reporting my trip?” Eve asked.

  Jill shook her head. “I was too busy doing research for you.” Jill looked askance. “Fine... Yes. I might have heard something or other.”

  “And did you also happen to mention anything to anyone about my experience on the cruise?”

  Jill gave a small shrug. “I might have let something slip. Everyone wanted to know how you were faring on your trip. They care about you, Eve.”

  “Admit it, they’re only interested in the entertainment I can provide. Well, no more.” Eve raised her chin and smiled brightly. “I’ll be far too busy running my inn. Which reminds me. We have our first staff meeting in a couple of days. Also... I should get going.” She raised her voice slightly and looked around her, a part of her wanting to let everyone know she hadn’t been affected by their behavior toward her because she was far too busy to care. “I promised Mira I’d be back in time to... to discuss a dinner party she’s planning... for her editor. Her New York editor.”

  * * *

  “You’re back early, Eve.”

  Eve strode into the living room and smiled at Mira. “I would have returned earlier, but that would have been rude. Especially after all the trouble everyone went to, holding a town meeting to decide if I should be allowed to attend a town meeting.”

  Mira chuckled under her breath.

  She joined her aunt on the couch. The book-lined room, with its comfortable chairs and plump cushions, had become her favorite room in the house. The sun had set and the table lamps cast a soft light. The windows offered an uninterrupted view of the beach, not that she could see much of it now, but she had enjoyed many nights gazing out to sea and the twinkling stars.

  Eve stretched her legs out and yawned. “By the way, you’re having a dinner party.”

  “I am? Did I forget to make a note of it?” Mira asked.

  “You might have. You know how you get when you’re in your writing cave.” Eve inspected her fingernails. “Also, you’re inviting your editor.”

  Mira’s eyes widened slightly. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because... because I need to do a practice run at the inn and that requires some special people. The type I might want to impress. She can stay at the inn.”

  “She? I could have sworn my editor was a man.” Mira set the book she’d been reading down and picked up her diary. “Yes. Here it is. Monday, call Jordan.”

  “Fine, it’s a man. I always thought Jordan was a woman. You never specified. In fact, it’s always been Jordan this and Jordan that.”

  “Remind me again why he’s coming to dinner?”

  Eve kicked off her loafers. “Oh, never mind all that. If you must know, I’m a bit...” she clicked her fingers, “What’s that word your mad innkeeper always uses? Cross. Yes, that’s it. I’m a bit cross with everyone for thinking I’m incapable of behaving in public.”

  “And did you, dare I ask, behave in public?” Mira asked.

  Eve leaned back on the couch and rolled her head from side to side. “Sort of.”

  “And what did you think about our new arrival?”

  Eve sprung upright. “You know about him?”

  Mira nodded. “I bumped into him at the Chin Wag Café. Roger McLain introduced us, and we sat down for a coffee.”

  “I see the embargo doesn’t include you.” Eve folded her arms across her chest. “I wasn’t allowed to talk to him.”

  “Why would I be banned from talking to him? I’m perfectly normal.”

  Eve grabbed a cushion and pressed it against her face to stifle her groan.

  “Don’t take it so hard, Eve. You haven’t missed anything. He’s just a run of the mill billionaire. Too much money and time on his hands. The Bugle is nothing but a hobby for him. I remember thinking he’d be a perfect candidate for murder.”

  “Mira!”

  “I’m only making conversation. It’s fine when it’s just the two of us.” Mira picked up her mug and inspected it.

  “What are you drinking? I’ll make you another cup,” Eve offered.

  “Tea, thank you. Chamomile. I need a good night’s rest.”

  “Is your new book giving you trouble?”

  “Oh, no dear. Thinking about William Hunter and how long he’ll last will keep me tossing and turning all night, I’m sure of it.”

  “He should be fine. Everyone is circling the wagons around him,” Eve said as she strode out of the living room.

  “Something tells me that won’t be enough.”

  “I heard that.”

  Chapter Two

  Eve set a platter of freshly baked muffins on the table and bent down to give Mr. Magoo and Mischief a hello scratch behind the ears. As Jill’s Labradors would always be welcomed at the inn, she had decided to make it pet friendly.

  With that thought in mind, she grabbed her notepad and scribbled a reminder to be more specific.

  Yes to dogs. No to exotic pets.

  She didn’t see any harm in being specific. Just in case someone got the wrong idea and decided to bring their pet Python on vacation.

  Straightening, she sent her gaze skating around the large kitchen table. “Thank you all for coming this morning.”

  Jill looked around her. “It’s just you and me, Eve.”

  Eve smiled. “I wanted to start the way I mean to go on. Samantha will be along shortly. She called earlier to say she needed to open Tinkerbelle’s first.” Thank goodness for Samantha Beckett, Eve thought. She’d been trying to fill the spot of assistant manager for a couple of weeks with no success.

  While Samantha loved working at the bookstore Mira had purchased in town, she’d expressed an interest in spreading her wings and getting some experience in the hospitality industry. Since Samantha shared her job with Aubrey Leeds who could step in and work extra hours, Mira had been only too happy to agree to give Samantha time off, but only until Eve could find someone else to manage the front desk. “The kitchen and serving staff will join our meetings in a couple of days. I need to get back into the swing of things. Bear with me, please. This is a practice run and I want to avoid the bad habit of only looking at one person.”

  Jill looked around. “Your absent employees are all in agreement.”

  “Go ahead, make fun of me.” Eve put a tick on the first order of busine
ss and turned the page. “Announcements. Are the posters for the afternoon tea ready?”

  Jill signaled to a box she’d set on the table. “I’ve organized a couple of local kids to do a mailbox drop and I’ll be posting the posters around town myself. I’m hoping to bump into the town chronicler so we can have our first official mention.”

  “Fantastic. Thank you for doing that. Next on the agenda. I’ve talked Mira into having a dinner party. I’m thinking Friday night, so I’ll be working on a menu today.” Which took care of keeping her away from town and any chance of bumping into his lordship. “We’ll also have our first official guest. Jordan Monroe, Mira’s editor. I’ll book him in for the weekend. That should give us a good three days to get into the rhythm of things.”

  “How many people are attending the dinner party?”

  “I’m not sure yet. There’s Mira. I suppose I could ask Helena. She has a discerning palate. I have some game dishes in mind I’d like her to try. Abby Larkin is visiting the island. She’s keen to see what we’ve done with her house.”

  “Will she be staying here?” Jill asked.

  “She’s still thinking about it. The last time I spoke with her she was having second thoughts about staying in an inn where someone had been murdered.”

  Jill gave her a brisk smile. “Two people, at last count. Not that I’m keeping track.” Jill took a nibble of her muffin. “Yum. Blueberry and lemon. These will be a hit.”

  “Thank you. Next on my list, advertising. I’ve placed listings in several weekend getaways magazines. They’ll appear early next week. Fingers crossed, we should start getting some phone calls by the end of the week. Samantha will have to be on her toes. We want to screen our guests.”

  Jill nodded. “No ghost hunters or anyone expressing an interest in the murders.”

  “I thought we’d decided to call them incidents.”

  “Sorry. Incidents.”

  “Next item on the agenda. Clothing. After some careful consideration, I’m inclined to agree with you. We should keep it casual. Meaning, no uniforms.” Eve drummed her fingers on the table. “Is Josh available this weekend? I wouldn’t mind having him around the place.” Jill’s police officer boyfriend had briefly acted as grounds keeper during an early practice run when a film crew had taken over the house. They would only have one guest and while Eve wouldn’t expect Josh to actually work, she would feel more comfortable with him around. If anything were to happen to Mira’s editor, she’d never hear the end of it. Eve worried her bottom lip as she watched Jill place a call.

  “Yes.” Jill disconnected the call and nodded. “Josh has a few free days coming up and he’s more than happy to spend them working.”

  “Are you trying to keep a straight face?” Eve asked.

  Jill nodded. “I’m doing my best. Josh had been looking forward to kicking back and relaxing but I told him he didn’t have a choice.”

  “Okay. I’ll go easy on him. I’m sure he’ll have plenty of time to relax. We’ll only have the one guest.”

  Jill’s cell phone rang. “It’s Josh. He probably came up with a sound argument and will try to talk me out of forcing him to do this. I’ll take it outside. Mischief and Mr. Magoo could do with a run along the beach.” Before she stepped out the back door, Jill turned. “Eve.”

  “Yes?”

  “About the other night at the town meeting...”

  The front door bell chimed. “Think nothing of it. I’m too busy to give William Hunter the Third a second thought.”

  “Yes, but... I can’t help feeling we were all unfair to you. I wish I hadn’t gone along with everyone. In fact, I’m going to make it my business to tell anyone who mentions it off. As far as I’m concerned, I’m the only one allowed to censor you.”

  Mr. Magoo whimpered.

  Jill cringed. “Okay. I just heard myself. Sorry.”

  “You needn’t worry about me. I’m staying well away from Willie III. I’m too busy to think about a stiff necked oligarch.”

  Jill tilted her head. “Is that what he is?”

  “I’m sure of it. Newspaper moguls are usually influential in the upper echelons of society. I say ho-hum to that.”

  As Eve went to answer the door, she gave herself a mental pat on the back. Their first official meeting had gone smoothly. It reminded Eve of the days she’d worked as a chef in her own Manhattan restaurant where everything had run on schedule and in perfect harmony. This was her milieu, her ideal comfort zone. Eve nodded. Yes, everything would work out as planned.

  “Eve Lloyd?” the woman at the door asked.

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  “I’m Elizabeth Rogue. William Hunter’s personal assistant.”

  Eve glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jill hadn’t come back inside. Playing it safe, she stepped outside. As she did, she couldn’t help noticing the surprise on Elizabeth Rogue’s perfectly made up face.

  A tall woman in her late twenties, she wore a pair of charcoal black tailored trousers matched with a cream blouse. Noticing the fine sheen on the fabric, Eve decided the blouse had to be made of real silk. A single strand of pearls hung around her neck. Eve guessed they were not cultured, but rather, the real deal.

  Although young, Elizabeth Rogue presented herself with flair and an air of sophistication one normally acquired with age.

  “Lovely to meet you. How can I help you?” Eve asked.

  “I wanted to confirm a booking.”

  Confirm? “We’re not actually open for business yet.”

  “I tried to call but you don’t seem to be listed,” Elizabeth Rogue said, “In fact, I asked around town and no one could tell me the name of your inn.”

  Jill’s latest suggestion, Hangman’s Noose, nearly tripped out but Eve managed to contain it. “It’s The Sea Breeze Inn.” At least that had been the last safe choice they’d come up with. An improvement on Work-in-Progress Inn.

  “Lovely.” Elizabeth Rogue checked her planner. “We’ve been told Friday lunch would be fine. We have a party of five, although that could change at any minute.”

  “That can’t be right. We’re not taking bookings yet.”

  Elizabeth Rogue checked her planner again and smiled. “Mira Lloyd assured us we could be accommodated.”

  Mira?

  “In fact, she said the more the merrier.”

  She had?

  “So if you give me your contact details, I’ll call later in the day with exact numbers. I trust you’ll have an acceptable selection of wines...” Elizabeth Rogue checked her watch. “We look forward to the experience.” Without waiting for Eve to respond, she turned and made her way to her sporty car.

  * * *

  “In all fairness, the person responsible for committing the crime should do the time,” Eve mused even though she knew she couldn’t ask Mira to call Elizabeth Rogue and explain there had been a mistake. What on earth had possessed her aunt? If Eve didn’t know better, she’d suspect Mira had been trying to stir things up a bit.

  “What are you muttering about?” Jill asked as she strode back in, Mr. Magoo and Mischief at her heels, their tails wagging and their tongues lolling.

  “Me? Oh... I was wondering if I should... have my hair cut for the photo shoot.”

  “It’ll just be me behind the camera, Eve. Hardly a photo shoot.”

  “You’re a professional artist. Never sell yourself short, Jill. Anyhow, I’m thinking I should stand in front of my stunningly gorgeous Grand Palais 180.” She gave her brand new stove a loving caress. The bespoke stove had been as expensive as a luxury car, but worth every penny.

  “I’m still surprised it managed to fit inside the kitchen. It’s... imposing. I might have to get a special camera lens to fit it into the frame.” Jill washed her hands and grabbed another muffin. “But I’m sure I heard you muttering about something else.”

  Eve wiped an imaginary smudge from the counter. Her shoulders lifted and dropped. With a sigh of resignation, she turned to face Jill. “You’ve kno
wn me long enough to learn all about best laid plans.”

  “Should I sit down for this?” Jill held her gaze for several seconds. “Yes, I feel I should sit down.”

  Eve gave a stiff nod. “Yes, you might want to.” Raking her fingers through her hair, she sighed again. “You know what this inn means to me and how much I want it to succeed. Nothing can go wrong.”

  “And nothing will. We’ve already agreed to adopt a positive attitude.” Jill nibbled on her muffin. “We’ve also acknowledged the fact we can’t control all outcomes.” Jill waved her hand around. “But our stalwart determination will help us navigate through the roughest waters.”

  “Quit mocking me and be serious for a moment.”

  Jill sat up. “Okay. You have my full attention.”

  Eve squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “There has been an unexpected development and it will pose a challenge.”

  Jill slid to the edge of the chair and gaped at her. “But I was only gone five minutes. What could possibly have happened in that time?”

  “Yes, well... Our best laid plans have been tampered with.”

  “It can’t be a body,” Jill’s voice quivered, “Please tell me it’s not a body. Was it the mailman? I know he sometimes gets the addresses wrong, but that’s no reason for someone to kill him...”

  “Please, calm down, Jill. You’re making me jittery.” Eve brushed her hands across her face. She should have said no. Well, she had said no. In reality, she should have been firm. In her shoes, someone like Elizabeth Rogue, with her tailored pants, silk blouse and string of pearls, would have stood her ground, suffering no fools.

  As a chef, Eve had been trained to be firm. Decisive. Even bossy. But how would it look if she turned down the island’s favorite son?