Janine Marie - Rigging a Murder 01 - The Single Shoe Mystery by Janine Marie Read Free Book Online Page A

boat.”
    “Especially in the rain,” Greg added, laughing.
    “We got it; you girls stay here and work on lunch,” Thomas said as he and Greg grabbed their rain gear and headed out to help the returning boats dock.
    After some rummaging around in the fridge, Steph, Katie, and I were able to pull together a great lunch of cheese quesadillas, veggies and dip, and some potato chips that Katie found in the snack cupboard and used her considerable talent to convince us were exactly what we needed to cheer us up.
    Thomas and Greg returned.
    “Finally you’re back; what took you so long?” Katie demanded of her father and Greg. Of course the only reason that she cared was because I, her mother, wouldn’t let her have any of the potato chips until they returned, knowing full well that once we started to eat them we couldn’t stop.
    “You won’t believe it,” Thomas hesitated, waiting to get our attention. Once he had it, he continued, “Well, we found out where John and Stella Blackwood disappeared to—” he paused here, making sure he had all our attention.
    When I finally gave in and cried “Where?” Thomas happily continued on : “They were on Trent’s boat. And it wasn’t just Trent’s boat that came in! All the boats are back! Apparently a tree fell in the wind storm and has blocked the Malibu Rapids.”
    “What… we’re trapped here?!” I exclaimed.
    Greg, ever the calm voice of reason, chimed in: “Well, they think that the tree would probably get washed out with the current at high tide later today, so we should be able to leave this afternoon at slack tide.”
    “BUT UNTIL THEN WE ARE STUCK HERE WITH A MURDERER!” I cried. This accurate statement had the effect of a full stop as the reality of it registered with everyone, and we all stared at each other in horror.
    “We didn’t tell them about Lorenzo!” Thomas exclaimed, breaking the silence.
    We all looked at each other, grim-faced.
    “Oh God,” I groaned. “I was kind of okay staying here with a corpse until the police or Coast Guard arrived because I was 100 percent sure the killer had fled BUT not so much now that everyone is back and we are stuck here with them.”
    “You’re getting yourself all worked up,” scolded Thomas, who was always in control.
    “Of course I am, and for good reason. What about Katie? We can’t just sit here! We have to do something!” I retorted.
    “Okay, what do you suggest we do?”
    “For starters, we need to find out what’s happening on that boat, now that all the suspects are back.”
    “What makes you think the murderer is a Yacht Club member? What about the missing crew? Or the other boats that were anchored out or at the dock last night?”
    “Oh, I hate it when you are right!” I snarled. “Well, I don’t think it was a random act, do you?”
    “No, it’s pretty clear that it was someone he knew. How else could they have gotten on the boat and been with him in his office?”
    “Why do you say that?” Steph inquired.
    We all turned to look at her. We had been so involved in the verbal debate we had forgotten she was there.
    “Right—you didn’t see the body! He was wearing the same clothes he had on that night at dinner, and had a half-drunk glass of scotch on his desk,” Greg replied.
    “Pure speculation: we need facts!” interjected Thomas. “I vote we go back and see what we can find out.”
    Nodding his agreement, Greg said, “Janeva is right, I’m sure Catherine is in hysterics by now.”
    “No way, I’m not going anywhere near that boat,” pronounced Steph.
    “Will you hang out with Katie, then?” I asked.
    “Love to! Katie, let’s play that board game you were telling me about.”
    “YES!” came Katie’s immediate reply.
    Leaving Katie and Steph safely locked in the boat, happily debating the merits of different board games, the rest of us put our wet rain gear back on and headed over to the scene of the crime on the yacht Atlantis.
    Just before boarding,