Eve Lloyd’s A Deadline Cozy Mystery Box Set 2

by Sonia Parin

  “The longest half hour of my life,” Mira whispered back. “I thought you’d never come home.”

  “Did you know they planned to visit?”

  “No.” Mira didn’t stop shaking her head. “Usually, they give twelve months’ notice. You know as well as I do, they work out their annual social schedule in January.”

  Eve shook her head. “I know most people would disagree, however, I know I’m not being overdramatic or… immature.”

  “Neither am I,” Mira agreed.

  “They bring out the worst in me, without even trying.”

  Mira gave a swift nod. “Me too. I don’t know what it is about them. They make me want to run into my wardrobe and curl up into a tight ball. Sometimes, I think I might have buried a bad experience deep inside me. I’m sure if I do regressive therapy, I’ll discover it’s all true.”

  “I’ll put the kettle on. That should give us a few more minutes to pull ourselves together.” She searched for her best cups and saucers and inspected each one for smudges or, heaven forbid, chips. Using a clean dishcloth, she wiped the teaspoons until she thought she could see the inside of her eyeballs reflected on them.

  Sarah and Steve Lloyd.

  Her parents.

  Here. On the island.

  Eve looked up. “She’s your sister. Didn’t you feel her presence on the island? You could have given us a warning.”

  Mira rolled her eyes. “I thought I sensed a slight disturbance in the universe, but I never imagined they’d come to Rock-Maine Island.”

  Since sending Eve to boarding school, her high-flying lawyer parents had made a point of visiting her once a year, always in Manhattan where they stayed in the Empire suite at the Carlyle and scheduled appointments to see Eve.

  Eve’s decision to pursue a career in the food industry had broken their hearts. Their words, not hers. Yet, they had continued to schedule an annual visit. Then, something had happened…

  Eve looked up and tried to remember. A moment later, it came to her.

  Oh, yes. She had divorced the one man they had approved of. That had given her a two-year reprieve. During that time, they had found one excuse after another to avoid seeing her. Eve always thought that had been their way of expressing their disapproval.

  “I love my parents,” Eve whispered. “I do. They made sure I received the best education possible. They provided for me. But, heavens… I could easily have gone another two years without seeing them.”

  Mira gave a pensive nod. “I love my sister. But you know she’s never approved of me becoming a writer, let alone a historical romance author.”

  “Well, between the two of us, we have managed to bring shame upon the illustrious name of Lloyd and Lloyd.” Out of all the billions of people on the planet, what were the chances Sarah Lloyd would meet Steve Lloyd and marry? To this day, she still wondered why they hadn’t hyphenated their surnames. They had certainly been a match made in heaven… or hell, each one upholding the highest standards for everything they did.

  Eve brought out the butter cookies she’d baked the night before. The bite size swirls had been shaped with care and precision. She made them every other month, so she always wanted them to be the best batch she could produce. Mira loved them and always enjoyed them with a pot of tea. At any other time and with any other cookie, she enjoyed drinking coffee. But these butter cookies always made her yearn for tea.

  “You’re frowning,” Mira said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Do you still have that gift basket your editor sent you? The one he got in the Hamptons.”

  “Yes. It’s in my study. I’ve been using it as a visual incentive to get my book done.”

  “Can you sacrifice the cookies to our mutual cause? I really don’t want to subject my delectable butter cookies to my mom’s unforgiving scrutiny. She’ll love the exclusive cookies that came in the basket.”

  Mira’s eyes widened. “But those are my cookies. I earned them.”

  “Mira? Are you having flashbacks to your youth when my mom took everything away from you?”

  Mira looked out the window. “If I wanted to keep anything, I had to hide it. She loved sharing my things, but heaven help anyone who touched her possessions.” Mira drew in a hard breath. “I think I’ve been scarred for life.”

  “What are they doing here?”

  “They wouldn’t say. Actually, they did but it didn’t make sense.”

  “What did they say?”

  Mira’s eyebrows curved upward. “They said they wanted to see us. Can you believe that?”

  It was Eve’s turn to widen her eyes. “No.” She brushed her hands across her face and entertained the worst of the worst-case scenarios. “You don’t think they’re here to announce their early retirement and share the news they’ve decided to settle here on the island?”

  Mira’s eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. “Why would you say that?”

  “I’m sorry, Mira. But you have to admit, it’s a possibility.”

  Mira looked toward the living room. “This is my island. She can’t have it.” Sighing, Mira said, “Fine. I’ll sacrifice my cookies. I suppose if I turn in my next book on schedule I’ll get another basket.”

  Eve put away her butter cookies and focused on arranging the cups on a tray. Luckily, she had the right brand of tea, the only English breakfast blend her mom drank.

  Mira returned with the small box of cookies.

  “I’ll have to select the best of the best,” Eve said. And then, she’d have to decide how to arrange them on the plate.

  “Are you hoping the longer you delay going out there they might give up and leave?” Mira asked.

  The thought would have occurred to Eve, eventually, but she remained too distraught to think clearly. She had long ago given up trying to win her mom’s approval. What would she say about the inn? Eve gasped. “She doesn’t know about the inn.”

  Mira mirrored her gasp. “She doesn’t know about my mad innkeeper. If she finds out, she’ll put two and two together and think you inspired me to write the character. And, of course, you know that’s not the case. Not really.”

  Once she had everything organized on the tray, she knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. “Here goes nothing.” They both strode back into the sitting room and found Sarah and Steve Lloyd sitting in the chairs opposite the fireplace. Had they used the time to meditate? Neither one had moved. Not even to peruse the pile of coffee table books Mira enjoyed having on display. Or the many photos she had scattered around her lovely book-lined room.

  They were two grown women. Surely, they could deal with the situation and then do their best to put the experience behind them.

  Eve set the tray down on the coffee table, thankfully without spilling anything. She knew better than to pour and allowed her mom to do the honors at her own leisure.

  Her parents were both dressed in the height of casual fashion. Her mom’s hair and make-up looked immaculate, while her dad’s clean-shaven face suggested he might have freshened up before knocking on the door. To her surprise, neither one had brought out their cell phones.

  “It’s been too long,” her mom said as she poured her tea. “What’s new with you, Eve?”

  “Nothing,” she answered far too quickly. “Everything is much the same as it was the last time we spoke.”

  “But you’re now living here…” Her mom’s eyebrow rose ever so slightly. “On the island…” Her mom’s eyebrow hitched up another notch. “With Mira.”

  Eve had closed her eyes but she knew her mom’s eyebrow had reached the summit of her displeasure and disapproval, calling into question her daughter’s sanity.

  “I’m happy here.”

  “You were happy in Manhattan.”

  “Yes, and now I’m happy here.” Eve smiled. “I believe I could be happy anywhere.”

  The edge of Sarah Lloyd’s lip lifted. “Without reservations?”

  Eve nodded. “What can I say? Happiness follows me wherever I go.” Her
voice hitched. “Why are you here?”

  Her mom gave her a brisk smile. “Your father and I have taken on a new client. I believe you know him. William Hunter.”

  Eve and Mira exchanged a look that spoke of shared experiences. Yes, she knew Willie. In fact, one of his friends had been murdered in Eve’s inn. Although, at the time, it hadn’t officially been opened for business.

  “Your father and I have been invited to stay at his estate nearby. We were on our way there when we decided on an impromptu visit to catch up with you and let you know we were here in case you needed to speak with us.”

  Whatever for?

  “Sometimes,” her mom continued, “it helps to seek guidance.”

  But she wasn’t lost…

  “We are, after all, lawyers.” Both eyebrows were called on to emphasize the point.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Eve saw Mira’s hand twitch and edge toward Eve’s hand.

  “If you ever need to seek legal counsel, we want you to know you should come to us first. After all, we are family.”

  Her dad gave a firm nod.

  They were serious. “Oh, thank you, but I can’t imagine why I’d need legal counsel.”

  Her parents broke eye contact with her and exchanged a look between them that spoke of incredulity. They knew something she didn’t… or rather, they knew something she knew but didn’t want them to know.

  Eve urged herself to call their bluff. If they wanted something brought out into the open, then… they’d have to spell it out to her.

  Eve gave them a breezy smile. “As you can see. All is well. My life is sailing smoothly, without a single glitch.”

  “Well, the offer is there.”

  Eve shifted to the edge of her seat. “How long are you staying?”

  “A week. We’ve combined business with pleasure.”

  Eve imagined golf games with Willie. Lunches and dinners. Sailing around the island in his yacht. They’d barely have time to squeeze her in.

  Eve smiled. “I’m sure you’re both tired from your trip.” Although, their flight over from England would have been first class and hardly an ordeal for the seasoned travelers.

  “I suppose you’re both busy,” her mom said. “Mira tells me she’s finishing one of her books.”

  Eve nodded. “We’re both run off our feet.”

  “So, you’ve found something to keep yourself entertained.”

  Eve gave a halfhearted nod. She loved her inn. The mere thought of her mom setting foot in it and casting aspersions on every choice she’d made turned her stomach. She knew she only needed to jump to her feet, excuse herself and say she had to get going, but that meant abandoning Mira and she’d never do that to her aunt.

  Eve spared her dad a glance and decided he had switch off and had mentally run through an entire case. If she’d had an inkling of how the share market worked, a smidgen of interest in golf or even eighteenth-century time pieces, one of his passions, she would have engaged him in conversation. To say she didn’t have anything in common with her parents would be an understatement.

  Taking a sip of her tea, her mom set her cup down. “Well, it’s been lovely to see you, as always.”

  As she rose out of her chair, Eve’s lips parted. Her mom hadn’t taken a shot at her. She hadn’t even given her a head to toe assessment. There had been a hint of disapproval over Eve’s decision to settle on the island, but she could live with that.

  If her parents had heard about the various incidents she had been involved in, they were not prepared to talk about it. In all fairness to them, offering her legal counsel was their way of expressing their love.

  “Yes, I suppose you need to be on your way. William Hunter must be expecting you.”

  “We’ll give him your regards.”

  “Yes, do that.” She exchanged a smile with her dad, showed her parents to the door and only when she shut the door behind them did she finally breathe without the strain of fear.

  When she could no longer hear the crunch of tires on the driveway, she called out, “They’re gone.”

  “Are you sure?” Mira asked.

  “As I drove back from town,” Eve said striding back to the living room, “I could have entertained a thousand possibilities but I can tell you with absolute certainty, finding my parents in your living room would never have been one of them.” She found Mira slumped on the couch.

  “I like to think she needed to see you,” Mira said. “Sarah could have called at any time to ask how you were doing. Instead, she showed up here. Unannounced. Do you think she knows something? Yes, I’m sure she does and she probably wanted to catch you in the act.”

  “Or maybe she has acquired the power of premonition and knows something is about to happen,” Eve mused. “But that’s impossible because I’m sticking to a routine and staying right out of trouble.”

  Eve had long ago given up making excuses for her mom’s lack of affection. She had her ways. They happened to be different. It had taken her years to realize her parents had spent a great deal of time becoming successful. Along the way, they had simply either forgotten or not realized they were supposed to acquire parenting skills. Closing her eyes, she groaned because another thought followed, the same one she’d always entertained.

  She’d been a mistake. An accident. An inconvenience.

  Eve drew a circle between them. “Circle of trust, Mira. Let’s keep their presence on the island to ourselves. If I point out my parents to anyone, they won’t believe me and I wouldn’t want anyone’s perception of me to change.” Frowning, Eve wagged her finger. “Actually, I wasn’t going to mention this but after what just happened, it will pale in comparison. Did you know I’ve been put on probation? How could someone not trust me?”

  Mira chortled. “You’re a newcomer to the island. What did you expect?”

  “You knew and you didn’t tell me. Hang on. You weren’t born here. I would bet anything you weren’t put on probation.”

  Grinning, Mira said, “Yes, that’s right. However, I’m a successful author and I also tend to keep to myself.”

  Whereas she, Eve Lloyd, always seemed to be attracting trouble.

  “Here’s something else I hadn’t planned on sharing with you. However, I wish to make a point. I am going to keep to myself too by being too busy. I’ve decided to set up another business. In town.”

  Mira didn’t blink.

  Eve could see her aunt struggling to contain her laughter. “Eve Lloyd’s a la Carte Catering. What do you think of that?”

  “Will you limit yourself to food?”

  “I haven’t gone into great detail. The plans, so far, are… taking shape. I think I’ll let the business grow organically. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll play it by ear.” She looked down at the tray. “She didn’t even touch the cookies.” Then, another thought struck. “What if something happens to them while they’re on the island?”

  Mira shook her head. “Relax. They’re staying with William Hunter and he has already been involved in a homicide. What are the chances disaster will strike twice? He’s immune to it now.”

  Tilting her head, Eve asked, “Why have you never said that about me?”

  “I have and you keep proving me wrong.”

  Chapter Three

  Eve strode out of the store carrying her purchases. Belatedly, she remembered to check the street for signs of her parents. Their unscheduled visit had set something into motion and she’d spent the last twenty-four hours on tenterhooks expecting to see them at every turn.

  “Eve!”

  At the sound of her name, she performed a series of motions which included swinging around, taking a step forward, another step backward, gasping in surprise…

  Her heart hammered against her chest. She searched the street down one end and then the other. Finally, she caught sight of Jill approaching with Mr. Magoo and Mischief trotting beside her. The Labradors wagged their tails and hurried toward Eve.

  Setting her bags down, she crouche
d down to give them both a warm welcome. Tails wagged, tongues lolled. “Hello, boys.” Their energetic greetings gave Eve a brief reprieve from the tension she’d been dealing with.

  “I dropped by the house but Mira said you’d gone shopping,” Jill said. “I see you’re about to roll up your sleeves.”

  “Yes, and you’re just in time to help.” Deciding she wouldn’t mention the phone tree, Eve straightened. “Grab a bag. I thought we might do some cleaning today and generate some ideas for the place.”

  “But you didn’t know I’d drop by,” Jill said.

  “That’s right, I didn’t, but I knew you couldn’t keep away. Come on, help me carry the bags.”

  Jill picked up a couple of bag and said, “I know you know.”

  “Do you? And… do I? And… what is it I know that you know?”

  “Don’t play coy. The phone tree works both ways. People can’t carry the burden of guilt or secrecy for too long.”

  Eve lifted her chin. “And yet, you managed to keep a secret. I promised I wouldn’t mention it, but… How could you put me on probation?”

  Jill grinned. “Each year, we take turns to head the phone tree committee. It’ll be my turn next year and I don’t want to ruin my chances by sponsoring the wrong person.”

  “After all we’ve been through together?”

  Leaning in, Jill whispered, “I can’t appear to be offering you preferential treatment.”

  “Really? That should be the least of your concerns. I’m surprised no one has called you out on the misuse of the phone tree. Surely it’s meant for emergency purposes only.” And, surely, Eve thought, setting up a new business in town wasn’t deemed to be an emergency…

  Jill gave her a raised eyebrow look, almost as if she’d read Eve’s thoughts. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m here to do penance and help you clean your store.”

  Eve smiled. “What you’re really saying is that you want to keep an eye on me. Fine. Just as well I purchased several packets of rubber gloves.”

  They made their way across the street. As they did, Eve looked over her shoulder and up and down the street.

  “By the way,” Jill said as she waited for Eve to unlock the front door. “When I dropped in on Mira, she had her back door locked and the curtains drawn. That’s unusual. I almost gave up because I thought she wasn’t home. Also, when she finally answered the door, she looked agitated and tense. Did something happen?”