Athletes and Alibis Read online

  Athletes and Alibis

  Dune House Cozy Mystery

  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

  Also by Cindy Bell

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 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.

  Created with Vellum

  Chapter 1

  “Pilot! Get back here!” Suzie laughed as she watched the dog spray sand up from beneath his paws. He ran towards Jason so fast that she wondered if he might take off and fly. The sunny morning made the outstretched ocean sparkle, as if it too was quite excited by the event that was about to take place. The Seaside Relay Triathlon had chosen Garber as the location for their race this year, and Suzie couldn’t be more thrilled. Dune House, the bed and breakfast that she and her best friend, Mary ran together in the small beachside town, was packed to the gills. She’d managed to sneak out for just a little while to give Pilot a chance to run, as most of the guests were participating in early morning activities. They were all training before the big race.

  “Hi buddy!” Jason laughed as the dog jumped up to greet him. Pilot was well-behaved with the guests, never jumping up or barking at them, but Jason was his friend, his buddy, who loved to play with him. “Hi Suzie, what a beautiful morning, huh?” He looked at her, his eyes sparkling just like the sea.

  “Gorgeous.” Suzie took a deep breath of the salty air and closed her eyes as a feeling of contentment rushed through her. “Are you excited about the big race?” She offered a warm smile. There was no doubt that he was, he’d been talking about it for weeks. Jason, in his thirties, was fit and spent much of his free time, when he wasn’t wearing a badge and keeping Garber safe, engaged in physical activities. He and his wife, Summer often ran together on the beach. Suzie would wave to them from the wraparound porch of Dune House. She could recall having that boundless energy, but since she’d hit her fifties she didn’t feel it so much. She could be motivated to go for a leisurely swim, or even chase Pilot around for a little bit, but most of the time she preferred to cheer athletes on rather than join them.

  “I think so, I hope so. I’ve been going over the security plan all morning. I’ve been able to borrow some officers from Parish to help.” Jason grinned as he ran his fingers through Pilot’s golden fur. “I’m really excited to see the Parish team compete. There is some pretty stiff competition though. I still can’t believe they chose Garber to host the race.”

  “I can see why they did. It’s a beautiful place, and one of the safest, thanks to you.” Suzie smiled at him. “I’m confident that you’ve made all of the arrangements and the race will go off without a hitch.”

  “Aw, that’s kind.” Jason winked at her as he tossed a shell towards the water for Pilot to hunt down. The yellow Labrador leaped into action, as if he was trying to prove that he was every bit the athlete that Jason was. “Honestly, I’m pretty excited. Just to get to witness some of the best local athletes in action is an honor.”

  “They’re coming in from all over the state, right?” Suzie held in a laugh as Pilot pounced on a wave that rolled towards the shore. It must have stolen his shell.

  “Some are, but most are from nearby cities. Stuart Pike will be here, can you believe that?” Jason shook his head, then blew some air through his lips. “That’s pretty amazing.”

  “Stuart Pike?” Suzie raised an eyebrow. “Should I know him?”

  “Oh, maybe not. He’s pretty well-known in the race community. He’s one of the top swimmers in the country. I was surprised that he decided to participate in this competition, as he’s already won it three times. I thought he was taking this year off to have a break and give some of the younger athletes a chance.” Jason took a step back and laughed as Pilot shook off his wet fur.

  “Wow, that should really put a spotlight on the race.” Suzie smiled at the thought. It wasn’t that long ago that she was more in touch with the happenings in the fast-paced news and entertainment world. As an investigative journalist, stories she worked on had led her down some interesting paths. But none had been as rewarding as the path that led to Dune House.

  “Yes, it should. Thanks for the chat, Suzie, I’d better finish up my run.” He gave her a short wave, then took off across the sand. Pilot ran after him for a few minutes, then slowed down, turned, and bounded back to Suzie.

  “Ready to go back, huh?” She grinned as she crouched down to pet him. “All right, boy, let’s get you some water.”

  As they started back towards Dune House she noticed two men make their way onto the beach from behind one of the local restaurants. Their brightly colored swimwear drew her attention first, but their unfamiliar faces left her curious.

  “Suzie!” Mary’s voice rose just above the sound of the waves.

  “Hey there.” Suzie smiled as she turned to face her friend. “You were able to get away?”

  “Yes, everyone is out of the house, and lunch is already prepped. I thought I’d join you for a few minutes. It’s so gorgeous out today.” Mary gave Suzie a quick hug.

  “Yes, it is. You just missed Jason. He’s pretty excited about the race.” Suzie glanced back at the two men and found that they were headed in their direction. Pilot spotted them, too, and began to run towards them. He bounced and darted back and forth, not getting too close, but tempting them to play with him.

  “Aren’t you a beautiful pup?” The taller of the two men smiled at Pilot.

  “He’s friendly.” Suzie smiled as she walked the short distance between them, with Mary at her side.

  “I can see that.” The taller man nodded, then held out his hand to Pilot. Instantly, the dog nuzzled it.

  “He’s yours?” The shorter man inquired.

  “Ours.” Suzie tipped her head towards Mary. “I’m Suzie, and this is my friend Mary.”

  “Simon.” The shorter man smiled at Suzie then Mary. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You as well.” Mary returned the smile. “Are you here for the race?”

  “Oh yes.” Simon laughed. “We sure are. This is Stuart.” Simon smiled as he gestured to the man beside him. “You might have heard of him, or seen him practically naked plastered all over the place.”

  “I wasn’t naked!” Stuart laughed, and his cheeks grew pink.

  “I’m not sure I have?” Mary glanced from him, to Simon, then to Suzie.

  “Stuart Pike, he won the competition last year—” Suzie
began to explain before Simon interrupted.

  “And the year before, and the year before that.” Simon laughed and clapped his friend on the back. “He’s the golden boy.”

  “You know it’s called a relay.” Stuart raised an eyebrow as he looked over at Simon. “If it weren’t for all of the hard work that you and Annabella put in, we would never get to that trophy.”

  “Sure, sure.” Simon rolled his eyes and crossed his slender arms across his stomach. “He’s always pretending to be modest. But we all know that if he didn’t swim so fast, our team would never win.”

  “Well, we’re glad to have you here, Stuart.” Mary smiled at him.

  “That’s so kind of you, Mary.” He looked into her eyes for a few moments. “If you’d like an autograph, I can arrange that.”

  “Ouch, there went that modesty.” Simon laughed and nudged his friend with his elbow.

  “I’m just trying to be polite.” Stuart grimaced.

  “Good thing your mom is in town. Maybe she can knock that ego of yours down a few notches.” Simon grinned.

  “What?” Stuart’s tone grew sharper. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, I thought you knew.” Simon took a slight step back. “Never mind, we can talk about it later.”

  “Or now.” Stuart’s jaw clenched.

  “Relax Stuart, she told me she was placing a bet on you.” He grinned. “I told her that was going to be a good bet.”

  “You spoke to her?” Stuart’s tone grew harsher.

  “We run Dune House and we’d love to have an autographed picture to put up on the wall there.” Suzie offered in an attempt to ease the tension between them.

  “Great. I’ll make sure I get one to you.” Stuart turned his attention back to her, his expression friendly once more.

  “I’m so excited for the big race. I’m sure you’ll do just fine, but you’d better watch out for the team from Parish, they’re going to give you a run for your money!”

  “I’m sure. I know all about the team from Parish.” Stuart’s expression darkened just slightly. “Well ladies, I need to train a bit more, but it was nice to meet you.”

  As he jogged off across the beach, Simon chased after him.

  “Ouch, Suzie.” Mary laughed as soon as the two men were out of earshot.

  “What?” Suzie’s eyes widened with innocence. “Nothing wrong with a little friendly feuding. We have to support our local athletes, right?”

  “Sure, but did you see his face when you mentioned the team? I guess he doesn’t like competition.” Mary grinned.

  “You might be right about that.”

  Suzie stared off in Stuart’s direction for a moment, then followed Pilot and Mary back towards Dune House.

  When they arrived at Dune House, they were greeted by a tall, slender woman with long, golden hair, made even more golden by the strong sun.

  “Hello there.” She smiled as she offered her hand to each of them. “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by. I’m Alana Deleon, I own the company that organizes the race. I just wanted to check in with each of the places where athletes are staying. We hold our athletes to very high standards, so if you have any trouble with anyone, please don’t hesitate to inform me.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Suzie shook her hand, then smiled. “I’m Suzie, and this is Mary. So far, we’ve had no trouble, and I’m sure everything will go smoothly.”

  “Wonderful.” She pulled her hand back from Mary’s, glanced over the water, then back at them. “I have to say, we couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place for the race.”

  As she walked away, a sense of pride swelled in Suzie’s chest. Alana most likely saw many beautiful places in her travels, but it was clear in the way she spoke about Garber, that this really was one of the most beautiful she’d seen.

  Mary brushed the sand from her feet, then stood up from the bench on the porch. The warm sun beat down on her neck and shoulders, despite the long auburn and gray hair that hung there.

  “It was nice of her to stop by.” She squinted up at the sun for a moment. “It’s going to be pretty hot today.”

  “Seems like it. Hotter than they predicted.” Suzie finished brushing the sand out of Pilot’s fur, then let him loose to head into the house. “We should make sure we get some extra cases of water from the store. I’m sure our guests will go through them pretty fast.”

  “I’ll put it on the list.” Mary nodded, then followed her into the house. Despite the rush of guests that checked in the day before, Dune House was in good shape. Between her and Suzie they managed to keep things tidy and running smoothly. Most of the time.

  “So, exactly how many athletes do we have staying here?” Suzie grabbed a broom and began to sweep the hallway.

  “Well, the team from Parish, along with their coach. Michael, Shelly, and Andrew. Their coach is Jen. She said it was just easier to have everyone here than to have to drive back and forth for all of the training and events.”

  “Oh right, Jen. I met her yesterday. She seems very determined.” Suzie flashed her a smile.”

  “Yes, determined is one way to put it.” Mary laughed as she washed her hands. “There is also a team from out of state, Sam, Ali, and Carter. Their coach is staying somewhere else, though.”

  “Wow, it was such a rush yesterday to get everyone checked in that I didn’t realize we had so many talents under one roof.” Suzie scooped up the sand she’d swept up, then tossed it in the garbage pail in the kitchen. “We’d better make sure there are lots of extra towels available. I imagine as much as they’re working out they’re going to need them.”

  “Good idea, I’ll check on that.” Mary started towards the stairs that led to the linen closet, then paused at the bottom. “Oh, don’t forget Charles is staying here, too. He’s one of the officials that will judge the race. In fact, he requested a wake-up call at seven tomorrow morning, and I’m not sure that I added that to the log and his file.”

  “I’ll check on it.” Suzie headed for the front desk. As she skimmed over the files for each of the guests, she noticed that Charles had quite a few requests. Lemon water first thing in the morning, along with a few other dietary needs. From the sound of it, she would guess that he was an athlete, too. As she recalled from the night before, he was quite fit. Perhaps he had once participated in the race himself. After she added the request for a wake-up call, she started back towards the kitchen to get the table set for lunch. A light knock on the door, followed by it swinging open, turned her attention towards it. Jason stepped inside, his face red, and his collar soaked with sweat.

  “Hey Suzie, any chance I can get a bottle of water? I forgot mine this morning.”

  “Of course you can, come sit.” She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. As he sat down at the long, wooden dining room table she handed it to him. “You look like you pushed it a little too hard out there.”

  “It was a bit hotter than I expected.” He nodded and cracked open the bottle. “Might have to go for a swim to cool off.”

  “Good idea.” Mary stepped off the stairs that led into the kitchen, then joined them in the dining room. “It’s certainly toasty enough.”

  “I have a feeling everyone is going to have that same idea.” Suzie sat down at the table and gestured for Mary to join them. “What else do you have planned for today, Jason?”

  “I’m going to go over the race zones, make sure there are no security flaws. Then I’ve promised to walk Alana, the organizer of the race, through a few of our emergency plans. She seems a bit nervous. Then of course there’s the dinner at the diner tonight.” He met Suzie’s eyes. “You two should come to it, the diner is hosting it for all of the athletes and staff of the race, and security was invited.” He grinned.

  “But we have so many guests and—”

  “And most of them will be at the dinner.” Mary patted her shoulder. “I can handle whoever stays behind. You should be there, Suzie. Jason would like your company, I’m sure. Ri
ght, Jason?”

  “Right. I’m sure it’ll be a nice time. You should bring Paul.” Jason finished his bottle of water. “Thanks for this.”

  “All right, I’ll see if he’d like to do that. It’s been so busy we haven’t had much time together since he came in from his last fishing trip. I’ll get you another bottle.” She walked back towards the kitchen and grabbed him one.

  “Thanks Suzie.” He met her halfway and took it from her.

  “See you tonight.”

  “See you then. Bye Mary!” He waved to them both as he headed out through the side door in the dining room.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind, Mary?” Suzie looked over at her with some concern. “I hate to leave you alone when we have guests.”

  “I need to work on the linen closet, anyway, it was a bit of a mess, I guess guests have been helping themselves. Besides, most of them will be at the diner, and I can always invite Wes to join me. He can be quite helpful when he wants to be, you know.” She smiled fondly at the thought of him. “If no one shows up for dinner, then we can just enjoy it ourselves.”

  “That does sound nice.” Suzie smiled at the thought of the two of them together. “If we head out now I bet we’ll be able to catch the cyclists when they come through the park.”

  “Oh, that sounds great. I saw a few of the runners practicing earlier today. I wish I could be athletic like that!” She sighed and patted one knee. “Maybe one day.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Suzie smiled. “It was a nice idea for them to put on a short cycling race for charity today.”

  “Sure was. They get some practice and it’s for a great cause.” Mary nodded.

  “Let’s go, bring your camera, I’m sure you’ll get some great shots.”