North Shore Nanny by Terry Ambrose

Author:Terry Ambrose [Ambrose, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: funny mysteries, Amateur Sleuth, island setting, Waikiki, senior sleuth, cozy thriller, Hawaii fiction, Murder Mystery
Publisher: Terry Ambrose
Published: 2016-08-29T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

If it weren’t for the traffic noises coming from the street out front, we might have been able to hear the proverbial pin drop. Even Kai stood rigid, saying not a word after Juliana’s almost-confession. For my part, a combination of relief and anxiety took over. My breath came in short bursts while I considered what Juliana's bombshell meant. We had a losing hand. Even Chance, who maintained a light and breezy view of the world, had a pinched look on his face.

Outside, a delivery truck rumbled by, its diesel engine echoing down the narrow street. “Why do you, um, say you might have caused Mrs. Kraft’s death?” I didn’t want to hear the answer but had to. It might be the only way Chance and I could keep from breaking a little girl’s heart.

“It was Friday night—three weeks ago—no, four—and I went into the Tiki Trades bar in Halei‘wa. It’s a little place off the main road. I’d heard some of the nannies met there on Fridays to compare notes. I was upset because Trinity had put off paying me again. She said the Palakiko’s weren’t paying her and she was negotiating with them.”

Kai crossed her arms over her scrawny chest. “That is so not true! Mom paid the bills every week.”

Juliana gave Kai a reassuring hug. “I know.”

“How?” I asked.

“What?” Juliana stared at me. “How do I know she paid the bill? June called me and asked how the new service was doing. I told her it was fine, but I wasn’t being paid. She exploded and said she’d get to the bottom of it. She even offered to advance me a week’s pay, but I refused. I figured it would only complicate matters.”

Logical, but was it true? If June had been aware of a payroll issue, why hadn't she mentioned it before? Would she cite attorney-nanny privilege, or claim it slipped her mind? “Did anyone else know about this?”

Juliana nodded. “I did find the other nannies at the bar and Maisy started complaining about how tight money was. It didn’t take long for us to figure out we were all getting the same excuse from Trinity.”

“So what happened?”

“We made a pact to go see Trinity on Monday. We never got to do that because she died over the weekend.”

“You should have told my mom. She would have made Mrs. Kraft pay.”

Juliana knelt next to Kai. “I know, but we wanted to keep this out of the courts. Especially me. I’ve already got a reputation as a troublemaker, so the last thing I need is another lawsuit.” Juliana looked up at me. “Put yourself in my position. If your resume says you sue your employers, who’s going to want to hire you?”

I cocked one eyebrow at Juliana. For me, an even bigger issue would be a potential employee who kills their employers. That would definitely be grounds for a “thanks, but no thanks” response. “I’m not judging your life, Juliana. I just want to get to the bottom of this.

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