Late Arrival: A Park Hotel Mystery (The Park Hotel Mysteries Book 4)

by Diane Capri

  Chapter 26

  I settled the last of my crime novels into the bookcase and took a step back to inspect my work. The empty cardboard box near my foot wriggled when Scout jumped into it. Jem joined her, and then it became a fight over who could fully occupy the inside and force the other one out. The struggle was real for a little while until they decided to call it a draw and curled up with each other, happily purring. They’d been purring a lot since I sprang them from Daisy’s Pet Hotel.

  Chuckling to myself, I turned and surveyed the living room. When she departed on her extended vacation, June had left all her furniture for me. Otherwise, the entire house would have been bare. The only things I’d added were my personal items, like pictures and candles, and my books. In time, I could add more.

  It had been a week since the incident on the Magpie. A week since I’d nearly died. I only had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days, and then Ginny took me back to the Park and was determined to dote on me day and night. After the first day, I hated it and told her to stop. I loved her for the effort, though.

  I had talked to the FBI while in the hospital. I told them everything I knew and handed over the SIM card, after the doctor cut the duct tape off my body. The duct tape had left several red lines on my belly. Lines that were still there. The doctor told me it wasn’t necessarily the tape that scarred me, but the cold. Frostbite can be a strange thing. Thankfully, the frost didn’t take any of my toes or fingers or nose. I’m not sure I could’ve handled that.

  In the hospital, I had other visitors as well. Some of the staff from the hotel, like Tina and Nancy. Megan had come, bringing a new shirt for her dad, who hadn’t left my side. Mayor Lindsey came with her husband, Justin. He brought me a whole cake. I devoured it in seconds while he stood there.

  Lane had also come to see me. I apologized for getting him involved and for his computers being stolen. He said it wasn’t a problem because he had a self-destruct mode on his hard drive. So, if anyone tried to log in, the drive would fry. He was really into some next-level spy kind of stuff that I really didn’t want to know about. Besides that, he said, he had insurance and had already bought himself two new systems, even better than the stolen ones.

  Before heading back to the mainland, Daniel also came by. Luke had left the room, giving us some privacy. Which was nice, although we really didn’t have anything crucial to say to each other. I’d already told him that I had feelings for Luke. I just hadn’t told Luke that, yet.

  I picked up the teacup I’d set on June’s coffee table and sipped the warm liquid on my way into the kitchen. I looked out the window into the back yard. I couldn’t wait to sit outside in the morning and watch the sunrise. This house represented a lot of new beginnings for me. After months of being homeless and aimless, I was putting down roots. And it felt great.

  There was a brief knock at the front door. Ginny came in carrying the last of my boxes. She set the box down in the living room, then bounced over to me and gave me a hug.

  “Happy house warming,” she said with a big smile.

  “Aw, thank you.”

  She handed me a small, wrapped gift box. “Open it.”

  I tore off the paper and opened the case. It was a necklace. A gorgeous, dainty, silver chain with two silver cat charms on it.

  “Oh, Ginny, I love it.” She helped me put it on. I ran my hand over it, feeling tears welling in my eyes. “It’s Scout and Jem.”

  “No, silly, it’s you and me.” She hugged me tight, and then she took out a stack of mail from her back pocket and handed it to me. “Oh yeah, here’s your mail. It’ll take a bit before everything gets forwarded to you here.”

  The door opened again, and Deputy Marshall brought in another of my boxes. “Where do you want this one?”

  I pointed to the floor in the living room. “There’s good. Thank you, Marshall.”

  “You’re welcome.” He looked down at the floor sheepishly.

  “So, have a good time, and call me later.” Ginny hugged me again. She met Marshall at the door, and he took her hand.

  My eyes widened, but I didn’t have a chance to say anything before they were walking down my lawn, hand in hand. I’d have to grill her later to find out when that had happened. Not that I thought her choice was a bad one. Clive Barrington wasn’t a man who would have settled down with her here on the island. He’d have left her with a broken heart. Marshall was a sweet man, and Ginny deserved sweet. He was the type who would cherish her, which was all I’d ever wanted for her. Ginny was the best and deserved just that.

  I checked the time. I had about thirty minutes before my next visitor. Luke and I were going out on our first official date. I was both nervous and excited. I really didn’t know what to expect. I mean, how does a man plan a date to top saving your life?

  While I waited, I went through my mail. There was a mailer from JCPenney and my catalog from Victoria’s Secret. Also, a couple letters from various charities that I’d contributed to in the past. And the last letter was from the State Bar of California.

  I slid my thumb under the flap and tore open the envelope. My hands shook as I took out the paper and unfolded it. I read it, my eyes resting on each word. My law license had been cleared. I could now practice law in California. I could be a lawyer again.

  The front door opened, and Luke walked in. Every inch of him was desirable. The way his dark hair was slicked back but still looked like he’d been running his hands through it. His faded blue jeans that fit him snug in all the right places. The burgundy shirt that made his fierce blue eyes pop. He’d shaved, and his cologne made the saliva pool in my mouth. He was simply devastating to look at.

  “Hey,” he said. “You about ready to go?”

  I still held the letter as I nodded.

  He glanced at it, then my face. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s exactly as it should be.” I folded the letter, stuffed it back into the envelope, and tossed it on the table.

  I met him at the door.

  “So,” he started, “I thought we could eat—”

  I took his face in my hands and kissed him properly for the first time.

  The kiss was everything I imagined it would be. Soft, gentle, loving. I felt it from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and everywhere in between. Then he wrapped a hand in my hair and deepened the kiss until I could no longer think.

  When we broke apart, I was breathless, my head spinning. “How about we eat in, instead.” I nipped at his chin.

  “I like how you think, Ms. Steele.” He reached down, put an arm under my legs, and swept me up into his arms to carry me away.

  Ginny had been right all along. The sheriff was most definitely a sweeper.

  * * *

  Thank you so much for reading Late Arrival!

  I hope you love Andi Steele and her Frontenac Island family. Find out what happens when Andi stumbles across another dead body, leaving her to juggle attentive men and ornery bosses, while staying one step ahead of a killer.

  And if you loved The Park Hotel Mysteries, you’ll love my Willa Carson mysteries, too. Find out what happens when a dead plastic surgeon washes up under the Sunshine Skyway bridge and Judge Willa Carson’s sister is the prime suspect.

  One-Click Due Justice now!

  Join Willa Carson and her colleagues as their Hunt for Justice continues!

  The Hunt for Justice Series:

  Due Justice

  Twisted Justice

  Secret Justice

  Wasted Justice

  Raw Justice

  Mistaken Justice (novella)

  Cold Justice (novella)

  False Justice (novella)

  Fair Justice (novella)

  True Justice (novella)

  Night Justice

  ~Keep reading for more from Diane Capri~

  MORE FROM DIANE CAPRI

  I hope you enjoyed this Park Hotel Mystery as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. I hope you’ll recommend my books to your
friends who might like them, too. The best way to share your honest review of my books is to post a quick two or three sentence review where you bought this copy and give the books some stars. Please do that. I promise I won’t forget it! And now that we’ve found each other, let’s keep in touch. Readers like you are the reason I write!

  For new release notification, and general information for members only, please sign up for our Diane Capri mailing list. We don’t want to leave you out!

  Join Diane Capri’s Mailing List at:

  http://dianecapri.com/get-involved/get-my-newsletter/

  Have you read all of Diane Capri’s books? Maybe it’s time to give them a try!

  For a complete list of Diane Capri Books visit:

  http://dianecapri.com/books/

  or visit Diane’s Amazon Author Page

  (Click each title to buy or download a sample)

  The Park Hotel Mysteries Series:

  Reservation with Death

  Early Check Out

  Room with a Clue

  Late Arrival

  The Hunt for Justice Series:

  Due Justice

  Twisted Justice

  Secret Justice

  Wasted Justice

  Raw Justice

  Mistaken Justice (novella)

  Cold Justice (novella)

  False Justice (novella)

  Fair Justice (novella)

  True Justice (novella)

  Night Justice

  The Heir Hunter Series:

  Blood Trails

  Trace Evidence

  Jordan Fox Mysteries Series:

  False Truth

  An 11-book continuity series

  The Hunt for Jack Reacher Series:

  (in publication order with Lee Child source books in parentheses)

  Don’t Know Jack • (Killing Floor)

  Jack in a Box (novella)

  Jack and Kill (novella)

  Get Back Jack • (Bad Luck and Trouble)

  Jack in the Green (novella)

  Jack and Joe • (The Enemy)

  Deep Cover Jack • (Persuader)

  Jack the Reaper • (The Hard Way)

  Black Jack • (Running Blind / The Visitor)

  Ten Two Jack • (The Midnight Line)

  Jack of Spades • (Past Tense)

  The Jess Kimball Thrillers Series:

  Fatal Enemy (novella)

  Fatal Distraction

  Fatal Demand

  Fatal Error

  Fatal Fall

  Fatal Edge (novella)

  Fatal Game

  Fatal Bond

  Fatal Past (novella)

  Fatal Dawn

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Diane Capri is an award-winning New York Times, USA Today, and world-wide bestselling author. She writes several series, including the Park Hotel Mysteries, the Hunt for Justice, Hunt for Jack Reacher, and Heir Hunter series, and the Jess Kimball Thrillers. She’s a recovering lawyer and snowbird who divides her time between Florida and Michigan. An active member of Mystery Writers of America, Author’s Guild, International Thriller Writers, Alliance of Independent Authors, and Sisters in Crime, she loves to hear from readers and is hard at work on her next novel.

  Please connect with Diane online:

  http://www.DianeCapri.com

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeCapri

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Diane.Capri1

  http://www.facebook.com/DianeCapriBooks