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  SUN, SAND, and SECRETS: A Ravenwood Cove Mystery (book 6)

  By Carolyn L. Dean

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  SUN, SAND, and SECRETS: A Ravenwood Cove Mystery (book 6) is copyright 2017 by Carolyn L. Dean. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

  Dedication:

  Dedicated to the many writers and online friends who have inspired me, challenged me, and cheered me on as I put my stories out into the world. THANK YOU. You’ve changed my life for the better, and I love you for it.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication:

  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

  Recipe: Jennifer’s Sunshine Peach Tart

  AUTHOR NOTES:

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Carolyn L. Dean

  Chapter 1

  “We could make it look like an accident. Nobody needs to know what happened.”

  “It was an accident, Meg,” Amanda said, exasperated. “The question is, how do we hide the evidence now? I’ve got four new guests coming in less than an hour. I don’t think I can even get rid of the stench by then.”

  Meg’s eyes were narrowed in thought. “Well, I vote we dig a nice deep grave out back, in the garden. If we dumped it in the trash it could be discovered and that’s the last thing we need right now.”

  Amanda looked sideways at her usually-bubbly friend. “Bury it in the garden? You do remember what was buried out back before, right?”

  “Of course I do,” Meg said, straightening up from where she’d been leaning on the marble top of the kitchen island and dusting the flour off her hands. “That garden’s been a burial ground before, and this cake’s the most dead piece of baking I’ve ever seen. We could hold a funeral for this cake.” She grinned puckishly. “Or a wake for a cake. A cake wake.”

  It was true. Amanda’s first attempt at a homemade angel food cake was a scorched, bubbling mess that had collapsed completely into the baking pan. The acrid smell of the forgotten baking experiment hung in the air of the Ravenwood Inn’s expansive kitchen, even after Amanda had opened every window to let the sea breeze in.

  “I’m going to toss it out back so at least it won’t still stink up the place.” She put on a pair of oven mitts and grabbed the still-smoking pan, walked it quickly to the back door and unceremoniously tossed it off the porch into the nearby bushes. “That’ll get it out of sight of the guests, at least. I’ll pry out the remnants and bury them later.”

  Oscar, her huge orange cat, sat in his overstuffed dog bed and watched the strange proceedings with interest. It wasn’t every day that he saw the owner of the Ravenwood Inn doing something so peculiar and making such strange smells. Besides, she was late getting his breakfast and he certainly wasn’t going to let her forget it.

  “I blame you,” Amanda said darkly to Oscar as she leaned over to scratch her kitty under the chin. “If I hadn’t been sitting on the front porch reading the newspaper and cuddling with you maybe I would’ve paid more attention to that stupid cake.” Oscar closed his eyes in bliss, unrepentant.

  Propping the back door open to get the last of the smoke out of the kitchen, Amanda sighed. “I was hoping to get a bushel of those peaches from the farmers market and slice them up with some sugar, so we could serve them on the cake. Thank goodness I’ve got Jennifer to do most of the cooking around here. She’s upstairs cleaning and I’m tempted to go ask her if she could bail me out here in the kitchen.” She looked at her friend and made a face. “Not exactly the picture of domestic achievement, am I?”

  Meg looked at Amanda as if she were insane. “Are you kidding me? You want to see the before and after pictures of what the Inn looked like before you started remodeling it? There’s a reason that your rooms are all booked solid through the summer. We’ve had all sorts of parties and teas and club meetings here and everyone has loved this place, and that usually includes your food. You’re just distracted these days, that’s all.” Meg leaned forward, a huge grin on her face. “You being distracted wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’re engaged to a certain handsome detective, would it?”

  “Of course not,” Amanda responded, trying to keep a tinge of irritation out of her voice. “I’m thrilled to be engaged to James.”

  “Glad to hear it. Now that the news is out and everyone’s asking you questions, shouldn’t we start talking about some wedding details?”

  “We’ve got plenty of time and besides, I’m busy planning someone else’s wedding.” Amanda smiled and washed her hands at the cast iron sink, then reached for a nearby towel. “We’ve got our first booking for a wedding here at the Inn and it’s in just a couple weeks. Jennifer and I have huge lists of things to do before Kimberly walks down the aisle. We’re going to set up everything by the pergola and it will be beautiful. She and Rod Applegate are the sweetest couple and I want everything to be perfect for them.”

  “Yeah, I heard that you’ve even planted more roses along the pathway and put in new brick. You sure you’re going to get that money back? I hate to be practical but…” Meg’s voice trailed off, her question still on her face.

  “Hey, everything I do is an investment in the Inn, and I needed to replace some of the crumbled brick anyway. Besides, it’s going to make their day more special,” Amanda said with a smile. “That makes it all worth it.”

  Meg looked skeptical, then grinned. “And if they leave a glowing review on your website then that’s just a bonus, right?”

  Amanda couldn’t help but smile back at her friend in agreement. “Okay, you caught me. I might have ulterior motives in mind, but I do want their wedding to be beautiful.” Drying her hands, she took off her apron and hung it by the back stairway. “Hey, I’m going into town to meet James at Heinrich’s Pizzeria. You want to come with me? James says the special today is smoked oyster pizza and he’s threatening to order it. I could use someone on my side.”

  “Sorry, I can’t today. Gotta head over to Cuppa for a few hours to bake the scones for tomorrow.” Meg made a face of disgust and stuck out her tongue. “Oyster pizza? That’s just gross. Look, I know you love the guy and all, Amanda, but if you’re gonna wind up with a man who thinks oysters on pizza is a good idea I really think you can do better.”

  Picking up her purse and keys, Amanda grinned. “Better than James? I don’t think so. Besides,” she said, “they say differences in a relationship are what adds spice.”

  Meg headed toward the door. “Or makes you throw up. One of the two.”

  Chapter 2

  No matter how many times Amanda drove into the heart of Ravenwood Cove, she always felt a sense of belonging the moment she parked downtown. Even with all the small cottages and beaches that Ravenwood Cove boasted, the broad sidewalks and tidy shops of Main Street were her favorite place, next to her Inn, of course. On her drive down the curved streets from the Ravenwood Inn, Petrie’s General Store marked on
e end of Main Street, with the green lawn of the town square and its grandstand and walkways at the other. In between, the street was peaceful and lovely, with huge shade trees overhanging the many local stores clustered on each side of the road. Bright pots of summer flowers were set out by doorways and glass display windows, and at night the antique-style street lamps would slowly blink on one-by-one. The recent boom in tourism had inspired many of the little stores to paint their door bright colors and hang up newly-redone signs, and several merchants had even made sure to put out water bowls for any dogs that might stroll by. Whether someone wanted a crescent wrench, smoked salmon, a new kite, or toys for their kids, they could find it all on Main Street.

  Most of her shopping money seemed to go to Petrie’s General Store. It had a hand-painted sign outside that boasted ‘hardware”, a gray cat that slept on a file cabinet and deigned to let people shop in his store, and decades of history and hardware that made it easy to find unusual items or remodeling advice. In the back was an old-fashioned woodstove and some well-worn wooden benches clustered around it, next to a large window. This was a favorite place for some of the senior citizens to sit and talk over the happenings in the town, and on most days if you wanted a good conversation or to know the latest gossip you could stop by for a chat.

  It was especially loved by Mrs. Granger, Amanda’s ninety-year old friend and pseudo grandmother, and she could often be seen knitting and chatting, or sharing one of the baloney and pickle sandwiches that Brian, the owner, made her every day.

  As soon as Amanda walked into Petrie’s and caught Mrs. Granger’s eye she knew something was wrong. The old lady’s hangdog expression was mournful.

  “Madeline’s missing.” Mrs. Granger’s words were filled with sorrow and tinged with concern. She set down her knitting and scooted over on the padded bench next to the woodstove, letting Amanda take a seat beside her.

  “What do you mean, she’s missing?” Amanda asked. She knew the ninety-year-old Mrs. Granger, so dear to her that she was almost family, loved to hear all the gossip from Ravenwood Cove and every once in a while she got caught up in the drama of it all. “When’s the last time anyone saw her?”

  The old lady sighed, her face worried. “Grace says that when she went to open Kazoodles toy store this morning the newspaper was still on the front doormat of the fish store, and you know how much Madeline loves to read her paper first thing when she gets in. It’s already noon and Madeline’s fish store is buttoned up tight. No one’s shown up for work yet, and Thursday is Madeline’s day to work alone until that new guy comes in at one o’clock.”

  Amanda could instantly understand Mrs. Granger’s concern. Madeline was known to be justifiably proud of her tidy little store and she had a reputation for being a hard worker who always showed up on time. From what Amanda had heard, it had taken her almost two months to transform the long-unused shop into a bright, clean room with a large refrigerated glass case at the front displaying fresh seafood. She’d also been very particular about which person was good enough to help her behind the counter, and the town watched from a distance as a long parade of job applicants showed up for interviews and then walked out in defeat. When Madeline had finally hired Peter Muscott, it seemed that all of Ravenwood Cove had breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and showed up to shop for fish and congratulate Peter on winning such an elusive job.

  Amanda thought for a moment. “Did Grace try to call her?”

  Mrs. Granger shot her a look of disgust. “Of course she did. When nobody answered she drove by Madeline’s house but her car is still there, just sitting in the driveway. She also tried calling Nathaniel but he didn’t answer either.”

  Amanda instantly thought about the time she’d seen Mrs. Granger sitting by the woodstove in Petrie’s, listening carefully as Madeline quietly poured her heart out to her. It was apparent that Madeline was troubled about something and when she’d had seen Amanda approaching she had hurried away. The only explanation Mrs. Granger would give was that Madeline was going through some tough times. After that the old lady clammed up and wouldn’t say another word. As much as she liked gossip, she was always careful not to divulge anything that had been shared with her in confidence.

  There was a bit of hesitation in Amanda’s voice, but she had to ask. “Was her husband home?”

  Mrs. Granger shook her head. “Grace said she knocked at the door but there was no answer. His truck was gone from the driveway, so he probably was off to work, though.”

  “Well, I don’t think we can report her missing if she’s just gone from work in the morning, can we? I mean, it’s been less than twenty-four hours and I don’t think the police look into things like that so soon. Is there anyone else we can call?”

  Mrs. Granger gave another sigh and then swiveled her wheeled walker around so she could grip the handlebars. “I don’t know who’d have the phone number for Madeline’s new employee, but I guess I could ask Grace. Maybe Mrs. Mason does.” Hefting herself to her feet, she nodded toward the bench, indicating her purse.

  “Can you grab that for me, honey?” she said. “I think I’ll take a stroll down to the bakery.”

  The thought of Mrs. Granger walking that far didn’t sit well at all with Amanda. Her ever-plucky but ancient friend liked to be independent, but she’d already had one fall at her house in the last year. It had taken Amanda and a paramedic to get her up off the cold ground in her flowerbed, and after that Amanda had realized that Mrs. Granger wasn’t as unbreakable and immortal as she appeared.

  “How about I give you a ride? I’m going that way anyway,” she said, handing the battered black purse to Mrs. Granger so she could loop it over her handlebars.

  “You’re getting to be a great big fussbudget. You know that, don’t you?” Mrs. Granger huffed as she picked up the remnants of a baloney and pickle sandwich that was sitting out on a paper plate on the nearby table. Carefully wrapping the sandwich in her napkin, she stuffed it into her purse and turned toward the door. “Okay girlie, let’s go see Mrs. Mason.”

  It was just a short ride to the bakery, but Mrs. Granger was full of questions about Amanda’s plans for the day, and when Amanda divulged James’ plans to have her try smoked oyster pizza the old lady pressed her lined lips together and didn’t say another word.

  The Bake Me Happy bakery and candy store was one of the most popular shops on Ravenwood Cove’s tree-lined Main Street. Its pink- and white-striped awning hung over a huge glass display window and there were often people lined up outside to look at the machines that made their famous salt water taffy. It was a subject of endless fascination to see the warm, viscous liquid poured onto the marble slabs, formed into thick ropes, and then looped over the rotating arms of the taffy puller. The candy counter was full of large glass jars full of all sorts of different old-fashioned candies, from silky ribbon candies to delicious malted milk balls covered in dark chocolate. By the time Amanda had helped Mrs. Granger out of the car and had gotten to the front door of the bakery, Mrs. Mason was already outside to greet them. Broom in hand, her plump face was wreathed in a welcoming smile.

  “Come in! Come in, you can be the first to try it out.” She waved happily at the two ladies and pushed open the door to usher them inside.

  Walking into Bake Me Happy was like walking into a corner of heaven. The air was thick with the delicious scents of baking pastry dough and succulent fruit fillings, with maybe just a hint of melted chocolate and hot caramel somewhere in the mix.

  “You’re not going to believe what we’re doing now,” Mrs. Mason said excitedly as she hurried back behind the counter. “Wait ‘til you see this.” She quickly pulled out a parchment-covered tray, scattered with what appeared to be smooth beach rocks, each about the size of a quarter.

  Amanda peered at them, not sure why Mrs. Mason was so excited about some speckled gray rocks, but Mrs. Granger squealed with girlish glee and clapped her hands together in excitement.

  “You’re making rock candy! I mean, the real
rock candy. The type I had when I was a girl. We would go to the beach every summer and my parents would tease me about eating rocks, but it was really sweets.” The old lady reached over and picked up one of the irregularly shaped pebble-like candies, and at Mrs. Mason’s approving nod she popped it into her mouth and rolled her eyes in absolute bliss.

  “Probably not good for my dentures,” she said as she quickly chewed, “but oh, that brings back so many memories.”

  Amanda couldn’t help but smile as she saw the happiness on her companion’s face, but her thoughts were on Madeline Wu. Madeline may have loved her shop and been a stickler for how she ran her business, but she always seemed a bit strained and tired. The only time Amanda could remember seeing her truly happy was when she was pulling out a thick photo album from under the shop’s counter, and showing off pictures of her three darling grandchildren.

  “Mrs. Mason, you wouldn’t happen to know what Madeline is doing today, would you?” Amanda asked as she leaned against the counter. “Grace said she wasn’t at the shop this morning and that’s just not like her.”

  Mrs. Mason scooped the rock candy off the tray and into a nearby glass bowl, her eyebrows pulled together in concern. “No, I didn’t know that she wasn’t at the store today. The last time I saw her was last night.” She set the now-empty tray on the back counter. “I was in the front window cleaning the taffy machine when I saw her walk by. She seemed really upset and was talking so loud on her phone that I could hear her raised voice through the glass.” She shook her head and looked at Amanda. “She’s one of the sweetest people I know, and I’ve never heard her raise her voice at anyone, let alone while on a public street and talking on a cell phone. How long has she been missing?”

  Mrs. Granger smacked her lips and dusted off her hands. “Well, so far it sounds like no one has seen her this morning. You’re the last person I know that saw her, but we will ask around a bit more. Did you hear who she was talking to?”