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Chapter One
My day off wasn’t supposed to start with a phone call startling me half to death. But it did.
I fumbled on the nightstand to silence my ringing phone even before my sleep-deprived brain surfaced through the fog.
“Hello?” I mumbled. The time blinked 5:30 on my watch. Really? Who was making calls at that hour? If I’d been fully awake, I would have checked the caller ID. But you know how it is. I reacted before thinking when caught by surprise. Or when aroused from a deep sleep. Oh, well. Too late to hang up and go back to dreamland. Because an unintelligible whisper came through the phone. Creepy.
Awake now and heart pounding from the unknown, I scooched up against the headboard until I was sitting up straight. Was this a crank call before the sun was barely above Maine’s Blueberry Bay? So much for sleeping in on the one day my Little Dog Diner was closed.
Pip, my Jack Russell terrier, looked at me with her head cocked as if asking what was going on? I had no more of a clue than she did.
I heard my name coming through the phone. “Dani? Dani Mackenzie?” The caller seemed confused as if she wasn’t sure she had the right number.
At first, I didn’t recognize the voice.
“Uh-huh?” I said, wishing I’d let it go to voicemail.
With my husband Luke out of town for a few days, I knew this wasn’t his deep, rumbling tone, so I was ready to hang up when I realized he wasn’t calling with some kind of emergency.
But then I heard, “It’s Cam. Camilla Carter?” Finally, a name to go with the mystery caller. “The Blueberry Bay Grapevine? I hope I didn’t wake you,” she said low.
Why the whisper, I wondered. Was she afraid she’d wake the rest of the neighborhood?
Just then, Pip pushed her head under my arm and knocked the phone loose. When I grabbed it, I hit the speaker button, absently scratching under her ear. Of course, Pip leaned in for more love from me, at the same time Cam’s breathing startled me, amplified now and suddenly sounding like a buzzsaw.
“I’m awake,” I said, hearing the annoyance in my voice.
“I’m really sorry, Dani.” Cam paused. “I didn’t know who else to call.”
Fair enough, I thought, but her apology did little to soothe my irritation.
“What’s wrong, Cam?” I asked, hoping it was something simple like she’d locked herself out of her office and hoped I had a spare key. I did unless she’d changed the locks. Cam had just bought the weekly Grapevine newspaper from my grandmother, Rose Mackenzie. She’d moved into an apartment over the paper in a building next door to my diner and hadn’t made many friends yet. So, this early morning phone call made sense.
But when she hadn’t broken the silence on her end of the phone, I sat up a bit straighter, curious. “Cam? Are you okay?”
She whispered, “It looks like someone’s trying to break into your diner.”
That got my attention. “Call the police, Cam. I’m on my way.” I threw off the covers, upsetting Pip as I jumped out of bed. But she quickly recovered, keeping up with me as I ran around my bedroom, gathering up my clothes.
Normally, I’d linger at the view of the morning sun peeking above the ocean, but today, I was too distracted with the worry of someone possibly ransacking my pride and joy. Pip ran to the door, ready to head outside for our morning jog on the beach. I sighed, sorry to disappoint her.
With an uneasy feeling settling in my chest, I couldn’t enjoy the beauty or indulge in our daily routine. “No time for a jog, Pip,” I said, pulling on jeans and a comfy Little Dog Diner T-shirt and grabbed a fleece vest.
Our normal routine consisted of a stretch on the patio, a jog on the beach, then, if I had time, tea and a muffin with Rose before heading to the diner.
“Rose,” I called and knocked on the door to her attached apartment. I needed to let her know what was going on.
“Rose?” I said again as I opened the door and peeked inside.
My grandmother, always up early, sat on her couch holding her favorite mug with her cat Trouble curled in her lap. “Come on in and watch the sunrise with me,” she said. “It’s especially beautiful this morning.”
“No time. Cam called and said someone tried to break into the diner.”
She swiveled toward me. “What? Call Maggie. This is right up her PI alley. She’ll love to dig into it. But remember, sometimes Cam creates a problem just so she has something to write about. I bet it’s nothing.”
My grandmother stood up and stretched, letting out a deep sigh and acting totally unflustered while I wanted to dash off and check on the diner.
“Make yourself tea while I get dressed. It’ll only take me a couple of minutes. Did you call Luke? He’ll want to know, too,” Rose said over her shoulder as she sauntered toward her bedroom.
Hurry, I wanted to say, but Rose moved to her own timer. Instead, I calmed myself down and said, “Luke’s coming home today,” without telling her I hadn’t called Maggie yet. “Let’s check out the diner first, then I’ll decide, but you’re probably right. This is most likely Cam’s overactive imagination. I don’t want Luke to worry and rush home for nothing.”
I felt slightly better. The police would get there before us, and it was their job to deal with a break-in anyway. Wasn’t it?
“Good point, Dani,” came Rose’s muffled response.
I assumed she was pulling a colorful blouse over her head.
“You know how your regulars check if you’re in even when you’re closed,” she added, her words clear now. “Hoping for a freshly baked blueberry muffin? Cam doesn’t know those people yet. And she is jumpier about nothing than just about anyone I know.”
I relaxed. Rose was right.
Cam had moved here from Connecticut, supposedly in search of a different lifestyle. She claimed to seek a slower pace, fresh air, sunshine, some local Maine flavor. But before the ink was even dry on the bill of sale, she jumped straight into her new journalist role. It was fair to say her style didn’t go over well with the locals. Her prying questions rankled the Misty Harbor residents, who were, shall we say, slow to embrace change.
Rose, for example, had owned the Grapevine for years and, at the end, still had to coddle information out of the locals for her stories. So, Cam barging in with her new ideas went over like a smelly fish on the beach.
Without any sense for how things were done in Misty Harbor, Cam totally missed the local signals, subtle or otherwise, to back off and give people space. She would have done herself a favor if she’d slowed down and made small talk before digging up dirt on local businesses, but she said that wasn’t her style. I guess stubborn was her middle name.
At least the Little Dog Diner escaped her scrutiny, so far. Not that there was interesting dirt to dig up anyway. Only delicious food loved by the locals. At least, in my opinion.
Cam didn’t know the town’s habits yet and coming from the Hartford, Connecticut area, she was used to a faster pace that included more problems than we had in Misty Harbor. At least that was what I hoped.
While I waited for Rose, I called Maggie. As soon as her sleepy voice mumbled, “Hello,” I said, “Get dressed. Cam called me. Someone was trying to break into the diner. I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.”
I heard a yawn.
“With coffee?”
“Sure.” I hung up before she requested a complete gourmet breakfast. She’d get it, of course, but I’d wait to hear the particulars of her needs once we were at the diner.
Maggie Marshall, the only private investigator in town and a good friend, had recently moved from the apartment now occupied by Cam to a small caretaker’s cottage nearby. She loved having an ocean view, but the interesting thing about Maggie was her relationship with Misty Harbor Detective AJ Crenshaw. It created interesting complications when they found themselves on similar investigating missions, so living away from the center of town afforded her more privacy from the nosy town folk.
While I waited for Rose, I made myself a travel mug of mint tea and gave Pip a small bowl of her chicken and rice mixture. I was just about to pop a pod into the coffee machine when Rose walked in from her apartment, holding two coffees.
“Maggie will need a big black coffee to get her brain in gear,” she said, knowing Maggie’s dislike for early rising. “She’ll also want food. What’s the plan for that?”
The sun streaming in the window promised a bright day ahead. I tightened the lid on my tea, and shoved sunglasses on my head. “Once we make sure nothing is actually wrong at the diner, I’ll fix us all breakfast. I’d planned to spend the morning baking for tomorrow anyway, so this early start means I’ll have an early finish. Win-win,” I said, finding the silver lining in my early wake-up call.
Rose pulled a tie-dyed bandana from her big tote and tied it around Pip’s neck. “There you go. Can’t leave naked,” she said, hitching the tote on her shoulder. Then she raised a finger in the air and turned her attention to me.
Had she forgotten someone might be breaking into my diner?
“Dani, I’ve been thinking. Now that I don’t have the Grapevine anymore, I have time to help in the diner again. It’ll be like old times. Remember when I was in charge and you and Lily helped me? What do you say about that?”
Those were the good old days. So much had changed which wasn’t necessarily bad, just different. But hey. I was on a mission, even if my beloved Rose wasn’t.
I grabbed the keys to my dark green MG. “Really? I suppose you could help wash dishes,” I teased. “Isn’t that how you broke us in?”
She snatched the keys out of my hand as quickly as a snake strike, casually tossed them in the air. She caught them before I had time to react. “You know, I think I’ll repossess this cute little car, Danielle. And maybe Sea Breeze, too. You and Luke can find another place to live. Don’t worry, Pip, you can stay here with me and Trouble.”
“What?” I screeched and tried to grab back the keys without success. For someone in her seventies, Rose was not only spry but clever.
Upon hearing her name, Pip gave a hearty yip, then rushed to the door. She knew what those keys meant, and she loved riding in the MG. But did she understand Rose’s silly plan? I doubted that.
I laughed. “You drive a hard bargain, Rose. I guess you could make a double batch of your lemon donut holes. They’re always a hit. And I’ll clean the pans.”
She tossed the keys back to me, handed me one of the coffees for Maggie, and said, “I knew you’d see it my way, dear. Listen, I’ll be right behind you, but when I get to town I’ll stop in at Cam’s apartment and see what the heck is going on with her. It just doesn’t make sense that anyone was trying to break into the Little Dog Diner.”
I hoped Rose was right.
Chapter Two
I shrugged into my fleece as Pip and I walked outside. The cool September air felt invigorating. Pip jumped into the MG and took up her place on the passenger seat with her front feet on the dashboard where she loved watching the world whizz by. Her yip let me know she was glad to be off on an adventure.
“Me, too, Pip,” I answered. “I only hope it’s a false alarm at the diner.”
I pulled out between the granite pillars and headed into town, glad to have the road to myself. I turned up the radio and sang along with the Beatles blaring “Good Day Sunshine.”
When Maggie’s cottage came into view, I spotted her standing on the side of the road, flagging me down. This wasn’t part of the plan, but of course, I pulled up to a complete stop.
She bent down to window level. “I forgot to turn my lights off last night, and my car battery is dead as a beach rock.”
This didn’t sound like Maggie’s normal on-top-of-everything habit. She must have been distracted, but I didn’t want to ask if it was related to her, at the moment, rocky relationship with Detective AJ Crenshaw. I didn’t want to be in the middle of that drama.
“Hop in. Pip won’t mind sharing,” I said.
The stop lasted long enough for Rose to fly past. She honked and waved but didn’t slow down even though she had way more room in her boat of a Cadillac.
Maggie settled on the seat. Pip danced on her legs and gave her a big lick.
“Ewww. Enough, Pip!”
“Don’t hurt her feelings, Mags. Here.” I pulled out the coffee I’d wedged between the seats. “Rose made this for you.”
After a slug and a sigh, she asked. “I needed that. So, what’s going on at the diner?”
“Not sure. Hopefully, it’s just Cam’s wild imagination. She’s suspicious of everyone and sees danger in every nook and cranny.” I rolled my eyes and wondered if the newcomer would ever get used to Misty Harbor’s more relaxed way of life.
A black blur darted into the road.
“Stop!” Maggie screeched.
Instinctively, she tightened her hold on Pip and braced herself against the dash at the same moment I slammed on the brakes. I swerved, tires squealing, to avoid hitting a dog. My heart raced out of control from the adrenaline surge, but at least the dog was safe, and so was my MG.
“What the heck? Whose dog is that?” I asked as I jumped out of the car. I crouched down and extended my hand. “Come here, pup. It’s okay.”
The dog, a young black Lab, as far as I could tell, came right over, tongue lolling and tail wagging, as happy and carefree as could be.
I searched for a tag but nothing. “No collar?” The answer came in the form of soulful brown puppy eyes.
Maggie and Pip followed right behind me. Pip, always thrilled to meet a new pretty much anything, immediately went down in a play bow. The new dog took one quick sniff, and then they were off, chasing each other in circles at the edge of the road.
“We’ll have to take him with us,” I said.
Maggie eyed the two-seater. “Do you plan to leave me on the side of the road to make room?”
I snorted at her suggestion. “Someone will pick you up, or you can all squeeze onto the front seat. It’ll be cozy,” I said. “For you.”
She shook her head and laughed like a good sport. “What’s better than one Pip on my lap? Pip, plus his newest buddy! My kitty will hate all this dog smell on my clothes, though.”
I waited while Maggie managed to squish her lanky frame onto the seat with Pip on her lap and the new pup sitting on the floor under the dash. It had to be uncomfortable. At least I had my seat all to myself. As soon as I’d pulled onto the road, the new dog wiggled his way up, giving Maggie a good face washing, then squeezed between Pip and the door with his head out the window. Maggie wrapped her arms around both dogs and managed to turn her head enough to see me in the small space behind Pip’s head.
“Get going before I change my mind and jump out. My legs are going numb, and I think this guy just tooted. Please hurry, Dani.”
When I hit the gas, the tires spit gravel and squealed. Pip yipped. The new pup barked. Maggie put her head back and howled. The only reaction I came up with was laughing at the crazy scene in the seat next to me.
Fortunately for Maggie, it didn’t take long to reach the Little Dog Diner. I pulled in behind Rose’s Caddy. What surprised me, though, was to see so many cars parked on Main Street so early on a Monday morning. Word must have gotten out about the break-in, which troubled me.
“AJ’s here,” Maggie snarled. “And Detective Winter.”
Uh-oh. Maggie’s tone was definitely not, I’m thrilled to see him. It sounded more like I might rip his head off if he looks at me.
“Well, yeah,” I said as if I hadn’t noticed her attitude. “I told Cam to call him since it is their responsibility to check on this type of thing. Let’s see what’s going on.”
Maggie didn’t budge. “You go. I’m staying right here,” she said like a stubborn two-year-old having a mini tantrum.
I twisted in my seat until I faced her. The new pup tried to jump out the window with Pip squeezed next to him, so they were both stuck half-out and half-on Maggie’s lap.
“What’s going on, Mags?” I asked tenderly.
She was hurting, and she was my friend.
“It’s that new Detective Winter. AJ is always talking about Jane this and Jane that. It’s driving me crazy, Dani. I’m just not sure I can live with this other woman in our relationship, you know what I mean?”
I reached over and took her hand. “I know what you’re saying, and I know AJ cares about you, Mags. But Jane is his work partner, and you are his life partner.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Life partner? Don’t give him more credit than he deserves. He hasn’t popped that question yet, and if he asked today, I’m not sure I’d say yes.”
Oh boy. This was the lowest I’d seen Maggie.
Pip finally managed to wiggle out the window with the black pup right behind. Rose walked toward the MG, and I gave Maggie’s hand another squeeze, letting her know she had my support. “Mags? Let’s put this on the back burner for now. You need to go catch that dog before he runs into the road again. And I have to find out if there was a break-in attempt. If there was, I’ll need you to do some investigating for me.” I hoped the lure of a crime would pull her out of her funk. It usually did.
Without replying, Maggie opened the door and whistled. Surprisingly, the black pup stopped and ran right back to her. I hoped he was enough of a distraction from whatever was going on with her relationship with AJ.
I slid out and surveyed the scene around my diner. Why on earth were all my friends’ cars parked on the street?
Rose scooped Pip into her arms. “Cam isn’t in her apartment or her office. At least she didn’t answer when I knocked. Why don’t we just go into the diner and have breakfast, okay?”
I glanced at Maggie. “Want breakfast, Mags?” Food always perked her up. For someone so thin, nobody would guess she was a bottomless pit. It must be her high metabolism or all the worrying she did about AJ.
“Food? Yeah, sounds great, and I think this guy is hungry, too.” She nodded her head at her new best friend, the black pup. He’s kind of boney, don’t you think?” She leaned down to the pup’s eye level. “Are you hungry, Bones?”
She’d already named him? Not a good sign, in my opinion. “Bring him inside, Mags. You do know that we’ll have to look for his owner, so don’t get too attached.”
“What if he doesn’t have an owner?” she said wistfully, leading me to believe my warning was too little, too late. “Come on, Bones.”
He woofed, and Maggie smiled. “He already knows his name.”
We trooped to the door. Me first, followed by Rose with Pip, and Maggie with Bones.
What a morning.
End of Excerpt
