Police Acatdemy: A Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mystery (The Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery Series Book 7) by Abernathy Chris

Author:Abernathy, Chris
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-05T00:00:00+00:00

Nine

Penelope went home to dry off and compose herself. I returned to the Parrot Eyes Inn. The coroner had taken the body away and the pool was reopened for guests, although not as many as usual had chosen to take advantage of it.

Pamela Prince was in the News 5 van parked across the street, hoping to interview guests as they left or returned from the beach. She’d been allowed to interview Chief Anderson by the pool. After that, Sheila reminded her very sternly that she was not to harass our guests on hotel property.

Two deaths in a week. Maybe she wasn’t joking about opening a Paradise Cove office for the TV station.

When Elysa arrived for the evening shift at the reception desk, Sheila was ready. She warned about news reporters, telling her the answer to any question was ‘You’ll have to ask the manager’ and ’No, you can’t have her home number.’

“It’s been a long day, Whiskers. Let’s go home!”

Sunset Cottage was empty when we got there but it wasn’t long before margaritas were being poured and stories being told on the deck. The sun was beginning to move faster toward the horizon, the few clouds taking on an orange hue. Several locals and hotel guests ambled along the beach, enjoying a gentle breeze coming off the water. My friend Blue, a great blue heron, stood by herself at the water’s edge. It was exactly the scene Fred had dreamed of when he bought this house for us. If only he could have been here to hold Sheila’s hand and watch it with her while I sat in one of their laps. But life holds no guarantees. All we can do is enjoy each sunset we are given and, if we’re lucky, share it with someone who makes it even more beautiful. Julia, Becky, and Tarrie Ann brought beauty into Sheila’s life now. Several nights I’d heard her thanking God for bringing them to her before she curled up and went to sleep.

Tarrie Ann poured herself a refill of mango margarita. “Okay, now. Catch me up. I feel like I’ve been left out of this latest adventure.”

Sheila told everyone about the dead guest. His name was Randall Croft and he’d checked in for a one-night stay. “Chief Anderson thinks he got tired of life, walked out on the balcony, and jumped to his death.”

“From the second floor?” Becky wasn’t buying it. “That’s definitely high enough that it could kill you but it’s no guarantee. You’d think he would ask for a room on the top floor.”

Sheila nodded. “Not only that, but I have it on good authority that the balcony door was locked.” She winked at me discretely. I nodded my appreciation.

Sharing that detail with her had not been easy. She’d asked me in her office if I thought the chief was right and I’d simply rubbed my head against her ankle sideways for ’no.’ It’s always the ‘why’ and ‘how’ that caused us problems. Sometimes I could get through, sometimes I couldn’t.

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