Pelicans, Piers and Poison Read online

  Pelicans, Piers and Poison

  Dune House Cozy Mystery Series

  Cindy Bell

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Also by Cindy Bell

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2019 Cindy Bell

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design by Annie Moril

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

  All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  Chapter 1

  Mary Brent adjusted the flowers in a large vase in the center of the dining room table. As her fingertips glided over the thin, green stems, she smiled to herself. She enjoyed everything about them, from their delicate scent, to their silky petals. It had nothing to do with the fact that she’d received them as a gift from a certain detective. She reorganized the flowers one more time then took a step back. Everything in the dining room appeared inviting and warm. She’d been working with her friend, Suzie Allen, to create a more homey look in the dining room and living room of Dune House, their majestic bed and breakfast on the beach. She’d found that most of their guests appreciated a cozy vibe when they first walked in the door. Although interior design wasn’t her specialty, she’d picked up a few tips from living and working with Suzie for so long.

  “Oh, those look fantastic.” Suzie smiled as she stepped in through the front door. “Where did you get them? I didn’t think you went anywhere this morning.”

  “I didn’t.” Mary’s cheeks flushed as she glanced away from the flowers. “Someone dropped them off.”

  “Oh, I see.” Suzie’s smile spread into a grin. “That Wes has turned into quite the charmer, hasn’t he?”

  “I think so.” Mary laughed. “How are things looking on the beach?”

  “Well, it’s not warm enough for swimming, but I did put some chairs and tables down by the water in case our guests want to enjoy the view up close.” Suzie stretched her arms out above her head. “It was good to get out there in the sunlight. I’ve been stuck in that room upstairs trying to get things just right, and I forgot about how much I need some nature in my life.”

  “How is it going in there?” Mary pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.

  “It’s getting there. I think a few more accent pieces and we’ll have a redecorated guest room to offer, it will be like it’s brand new. I’d love to do some antiquing this weekend. Do you think we could squeeze it in?” Suzie pulled out a chair beside Mary and sat down as well.

  “I don’t see why not. We only have one couple coming into town, and I’m sure they will have their own plans that will fill their time while they are here.” Mary tipped her head to the side. “I heard there is a new antique store opening in Parish. It might be a good time to check it out.”

  “Oh, that sounds perfect.” Suzie clapped her hands in the same moment that someone knocked on the front door.

  “Who is that?” Mary stood up from her chair. “I didn’t think anyone was due to come by?”

  “Not sure. I’ll have a look.” Suzie stood up as well, just as the front door began to swing open.

  “Hello? Anyone here?” A young woman poked her head into the bed and breakfast.

  “Hi there.” Suzie smiled as she looked at her. A quick assessment told her that she didn’t know the woman, which if she was a local, was unusual in the small town of Garber. “Come on in.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled as she stepped farther inside. Another young woman walked in behind her. “I’m sorry to intrude, could I have just a few minutes of your time?”

  “What are you selling?” Suzie raised an eyebrow.

  “Not exactly selling anything.” She stepped all the way into the foyer, as Suzie and Mary stood up to greet her. She held a few pamphlets in her hand. “My name is Hannah and this is one of my waitresses, Justine. I’m just making an effort to reach out to the local businesses that might be interested in what our new restaurant has to offer.” She smiled as she met them just beside the living room. “It’s called Pelicans on the Pier. Have you heard of it? I own it.”

  “Yes, actually.” Mary met her eyes. “It’s surprising to have a new restaurant in town. What brought you to Garber?”

  “I visited the area a few years ago with my family, and I just loved the setting. It’s such a quaint little town, and the people are all so close-knit. I thought it would be the perfect place to introduce my vision of a restaurant. When the building at the end of the pier came up for sale, I knew it was the perfect time.” Hannah held out the pamphlets. “I brought you some menus in case you’d like to share them with your guests as an option for dining.”

  “Thanks.” Suzie took the pamphlets and glanced at the cover. It featured a long picnic style dining table with several main dishes in the center of it. “We usually recommend the diner or Cheney’s Restaurant, though.”

  “I understand. I’m sure Cheney’s is a fine establishment.” Hannah clasped her hands together in front of her. “But we offer something a little different. Ever since I became a waitress, I noticed that restaurants all tend to have one theme. The people that come to dine at them are isolated from each other. They’re at separate tables or facing away from each other. No one is encouraged to interact. Some of my fondest memories are of my entire family getting together over a large meal, chatting and interacting as we passed the dishes around. That is the kind of dining I think we need more of right now. My restaurant offers a place for people to not only share a meal, but share conversation, and get to know their neighbors.”

  “So, everyone is seated together?” Mary raised an eyebrow. “How does the ordering process work?”

  “We feature a different menu every night. We always include a selection of seafood. We also offer individual sides that can be selected. So, if you’d like roast potatoes to be on the table, they will be, but we make enough for everyone to share.” Hannah shrugged and smiled. “That way not only are you getting something you enjoy, but you can introduce your favorite foods to others.”

  “What about payment?” Suzie tipped her head to the side. “How does that work?”

  “The price is the same for everyone. It is twenty dollars to dine, and that includes a drink. You can order additional drinks such as wine or beer for a fee that you pay at the time of serving.” Hannah tapped the menu in Suzie’s hand. “All of the details are inside. It takes the pressure off deciding what to order, you g
et a truly home-cooked meal with all of the sides that you love, and you get to share quality time with an entire table full of your friends and neighbors and possibly even some strangers, instead of only one or two people that you already probably know fairly well. It gives you the opportunity to meet new people and it brings a lot of excitement to the conversations. People are welcome to serve themselves as much as they would like until the food runs out. Not much gets wasted, and everyone is satisfied in the end.”

  “That’s really an interesting concept.” Mary smiled. “It reminds me of the family dinners my children and I would share. We always managed to talk about everything under the sun during dinner.”

  “I hope you’ll come in to try it out. I’m sure you’d like it.” Hannah smiled.

  “I’m sure we will.” Mary nodded. “Good luck with your new business.”

  “Thank you.” Hannah nodded to Suzie, then turned and left the house. Justine followed after her.

  “Okay, out with it.” Mary glanced over at Suzie.

  “Out with what?” Suzie carried the menus over to the small desk set up between the dining room and the foyer where she and Mary checked guests in. She set the menus on the top of the desk, then turned back to look at Mary.

  “You didn’t say a word. I know what that means. You’re too polite to say what you’re thinking sometimes.” Mary grinned.

  “I just don’t see how that could be very enjoyable. I mean, everyone squashed together and sharing food?” Suzie scrunched up her nose. “I know we sit down to meals with our guests, but that is more intimate, there aren’t so many people, there is lots of room and we don’t share all the food in the middle of the table. I guess I’m a little too much of an introvert for that.”

  “You can’t know if you like it until you try it.” Mary gave her a light pat on the shoulder. “It really can get interesting when you have a lot of different personalities at the same table with you. You enjoy chatting with our guests.”

  “Hmm, I guess it’s worth a shot sometime. Although, I hate to think of the competition it gives Cheney’s. This town is too small to have two sit-down family restaurants. And I heard that Cheney’s wanted to move to that building on the pier because of the view and pelicans around there, but they were outbid.” Suzie looked back at the front door. “I admire anyone who wants to give a new idea a try, but I don’t think Garber is the right place for it.”

  “I guess we’ll find out either way, soon enough.” Mary shrugged. “I’m going to take Pilot for a walk before the guests are due to arrive, that way he will be too worn out to cause too much trouble.”

  “Good luck.” Suzie laughed as she thought of their ever-energetic pup.

  Chapter 2

  A flutter of the curtains in the front window drew Suzie’s attention. The porcelain flower she’d just dusted clinked against the glass of the side table as she set it down. Through the window, shadows of seagulls swirled across the parking lot. She glanced at the clock on the wall and watched the second hand tick in a slow circle.

  “Any minute now.” Suzie smiled to herself, then quickly stepped into the kitchen. She popped open the cabinet under the sink and stowed the dust cloth inside. As she passed the toaster, she paused and tucked a few wayward hairs back behind her ears. After a deep breath, she surveyed the kitchen and dining room on the way back towards the front door. Although the bed and breakfast had been doing well, this time of the year always proved to be a little slow, and she knew that every review counted. Something as simple as cobwebs in a corner, or a pile of unfolded laundry could impact the words she read splashed all over the internet. She hoped that this couple would leave a glowing review and recommend Dune House to all of their friends.

  “What are their names again?” Mary squeezed a throw pillow, then gave it a light punch before dropping it into just the right place on the couch.

  “Sam and Ginger.” Suzie’s eyes flicked towards the window again. “Ginger sounded very sweet on the phone when she made the reservations.”

  “Great. It would be nice if they’re a little low maintenance.”

  “We shall see.” Suzie laughed, then took a sharp breath as she noticed a car pull into the parking lot. “It looks like they’re here. Let me gather up the paperwork. Will you greet them?”

  “Sure.” Mary smoothed down the front of her simple, denim dress, then walked towards the front door. She swung it open just as Sam’s knuckles made contact with the door. In his late twenties, Sam looked a little older than that, with a few strands of gray in his hair and wrinkles around his eyes that deepened as he smiled.

  “Good timing.”

  “We’re eager to have you.” Mary grinned as she looked past him towards the woman who stood just behind him. Ginger’s petite frame seemed even smaller beside her husband’s rotund physique. The only thing big about her was the mop of dark curls that billowed around her face. Although Mary knew she was about the same age as her husband, she looked quite a bit younger. “Welcome to Dune House.” She smiled as she gestured for them to step inside. “Please, come in.”

  “Wow, the pictures on the website don’t do this place justice.” Ginger placed her hands on her hips as she looked over the foyer that led into the dining room. “It’s homey, but it’s also huge.”

  “Does it get drafty at night?” Sam scrunched up his nose as he lugged their bags inside. “I mean, places like this are so hard to heat, aren’t they?”

  “Actually, it’s pretty well insulated.” Mary led them towards the living room. “We did a lot of renovations, but it was also well constructed to begin with. But if you do find it chilly, there are plenty of extra blankets, and we can always adjust the thermostat. We also have a fireplace.” She paused just inside the living room door and tipped her head towards the fireplace that took up a good portion of one wall.

  “Isn’t that nice?” Ginger smiled. “So much better than a boring, old hotel.”

  “Maybe.” Sam grunted.

  Mary assessed the couple as she sensed some tension between them. Ginger wore a brightly colored dress that flowed around her slender body. Sam wore nothing but gray from top to bottom, even his shoes were gray and carefully tied into perfectly balanced bows. His style screamed order and precision. She guessed that it was Ginger’s suggestion to book the bed and breakfast instead of a hotel.

  “Your room is all prepared for you, if you’d like to get settled.” Mary glanced over at Suzie as she entered the living room. “I’m Mary, and this is Suzie. You can pick up any line in the house and it will connect to our cell phones, in case there is anything you need.”

  “I just have a tiny bit of paperwork for you to fill out.” Suzie handed them a clipboard with a few papers stacked on it. “It’s a bit chilly for swimming, but the beach is beautiful. I’d highly recommend spending some time on it.”

  “We plan to.” Ginger grinned. “Don’t we, Sam?”

  “Yes, definitely.” Sam pulled the pen out of the clipboard and began to scrawl across the paperwork.

  “I hope you both enjoy your time here.” Suzie smiled as she handed Ginger a few pamphlets. “There are several places that you might like to visit or explore while you’re here. We do offer breakfast and dinner, but if you’d rather dine at a local establishment, I’d recommend Cheney’s. Their food and service are both wonderful.”

  “This looks interesting.” Ginger pulled out one of the pamphlets. “Pelicans on the Pier?”

  “Oh yes, that’s a new restaurant in town.” Suzie shrugged. “I haven’t eaten there yet, so I can’t personally recommend it, but if you try it, please let me know what you think.”

  “We will.” Ginger smiled as she tucked the pamphlet into her purse.

  “Here you go.” Sam handed the clipboard back to Suzie. “When we travel, we like to experience the local restaurants, so we will be eating out for all our meals.”

  “I understand.” Suzie nodded. “But you are always welcome. Just let us know if you change your mind. If you’
re ever hungry for a snack the kitchen is well-stocked, and you are welcome to forage through it.”

  “Sure.” Sam reached for their suitcases. “I’ll take these to our room.”

  “Sam, no.” Ginger laughed and pulled him away from the suitcases. “First things first, we’re going to the beach.”

  “Ginger, we should get unpacked and settled first.” Sam sighed as he gazed at her.

  “Nonsense. I am going to loosen you up on this trip if it kills me, or you.” Ginger laughed and grabbed his hand, then tugged him towards the sliding glass doors in the dining room. “We’ll have plenty of time to get settled once the sun goes down.”

  “But then we’ll be too tired and—” Sam huffed as Ginger shot him a sharp look. “Fine, yes, whatever you want.”

  “Enjoy.” Suzie waved to them as they stepped out through the sliding doors in the dining room, onto the wide porch. She watched as they descended the steps onto the path that led to the beach. It always gave her a subtle jolt of happiness to see how dazzled guests were by the beauty of Garber. She understood the feeling well as she had felt it herself when she first arrived in the seaside town. For having such beautiful views, it had managed to remain a relatively quiet place, and the combination of that and the wonderful people that lived there, made it Suzie’s favorite place to be.

  “Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about meals.” Mary smiled as she watched them go. “That certainly frees a lot of our time up. I’ll make sure they have some breakfast options and coffee in the morning just in case.”