Dying Trade (A Deadline Cozy Mystery Book 9) Read online

  Eve decided she would spend the day working on a business plan to solidify her idea. Then she’d make lunch for them and, since the weather remained mild, she could set up a table on the back porch where they could enjoy the ocean view while they ate.

  When she reached Mira’s driveway, she stopped and gave herself a good talking to. She had dozens of reasons to be happy. Thanks to the ads she had been running in getaway lifestyle magazines, her inn remained fully booked. Her staff could be counted on to provide a top service. The chef she had hired could run the kitchen blindfolded. Her aunt enjoyed perfect health and while Eve could move into the inn, she preferred to remain living with Mira, at least until Mira gave her a nudge. Yes, she had many reasons to be happy.

  “So, smile and be happy, Eve.” She pushed the edge of her lip upward and spent a few more minutes making sure her smile reached her eyes.

  Looking up, she saw another car parked in the driveway. She didn’t recognize it. Then again, despite being somewhat of a recluse, her aunt had many friends and Eve couldn’t claim to know them all.

  Parking the car, she strode up to the front porch and let herself in. Home, she thought. No matter what happened with Detective Jack Bradford, she would always consider Mira’s house as her home base. She and Jack had been taking it easy, enjoying each other’s company and letting things blossom without the strain of high expectations. Eve liked to think they were on the same path, headed in the same direction…

  As she strode in, she set her handbag down, removed her jacket and hung it in the hallway closet. She expected to find Mira ensconced in her study working on her latest novel. As always, she had a deadline to meet and, as it drew closer, Mira barely stepped out of her study.

  Another reason to present a happy front. She didn’t want to mar Mira’s thinking with her petty grievances.

  She strode along the hallway, past Mira’s office and as she reached the sitting room, she stopped.

  Mira sat on a chair by the fireplace.

  Her hands were clasped together. Her eyes were wide.

  Eve drew in a breath and stepped back.

  Had something happened? She didn’t think she was imagining it…

  Mira looked frightened.

  Eve slipped her hand inside her pocket and only then remembered she’d taken her coat off and…

  She’d left her handbag on the hallway table along with her cell phone.

  Frowning, she edged closer to the French doors leading into the sitting room. Mira’s gaze remained fixed on the opposite side of the room but Eve couldn’t see anyone from where she stood. She’d have to cross the hallway and gain a better vantage point. But that might alert the person or persons inside.

  She tried to draw Mira’s attention by waving.

  Finally, Mira saw her.

  To Eve’s surprise, she sprung to her feet and said, “Here’s Eve.”

  Eve didn’t think she’d imagined her tone. She’d sounded relieved. Almost as if she’d been counting down the minutes until Eve arrived.

  Taking a determined step forward, she strode into the living room and followed Mira’s gaze to see what or who had put Mira so on edge.

  Eve’s breath shot out of her. Her knees wobbled. If her legs could move, she’d grab Mira’s hand and flee for their lives…

  Chapter Two

  “I’ll make some tea.” Eve managed to get her legs to work.

  “I’ll help you,” Mira said and followed Eve into the kitchen.

  Once there, Eve looked toward the living room door to make sure their unwanted visitors hadn’t followed them. “How long have they been here?” Eve asked in a hushed whisper.

  “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 t
hem.” 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?”