The Inn at Holiday Bay: Clue in the Clam, Kathi Daley [early reader chapter books TXT] 📗

I also supposed that I’d fallen into that same pattern since moving to Holiday Bay.

There was also an email from my agent letting me know that my publisher had loved both book proposals I’d sent in. I planned to take some time off from writing this summer, but it looked as if I would be busy on that aspect of my life once things slowed down at the inn.

One of my old friends from San Francisco had emailed to let me know that she was moving to Vermont and would look me up once she got settled, and my dentist wanted to remind me that I was overdue for my cleaning.

All in all, a fairly boring set of emails until I got to the last one that is.

“You’re frowning,” Velma said, sliding into the booth across from me once the last group of customers had left.

“I just received an email from the young woman who caused the accident that killed Ben and Johnathan.” I looked across the table. “I guess I told you that she walked into the police station and turned herself in after all these years. Someone from the DA’s office called me a month or so ago to inform me of the situation and to get my feedback.”

“I remember that. The woman’s attorney was trying to work out a plea deal which would allow the woman to avoid prison and keep her baby.”

I nodded. “The woman just wanted to let me know that everything worked out and that she was so very sorry for her actions three and a half years ago that led to the death of my family. She assures me that her life was forever changed at that moment and that she will live the rest of her life trying to make amends for her actions.”

“How did this woman get your email?” Velma asked.

“It’s actually on my webpage.”

“Ah. I guess I can understand that. I forget that in addition to being Abby from Holiday Bay, you’re also Abagail Sullivan, the award-winning author.” She glanced at the cell phone in my hand. “Does she say anything else?”

“She said that she recently inherited a significant amount of money from her grandmother that she plans to donate to the local children’s hospital in Johnathan’s memory. She assures me that she doesn’t want anything from me and that I don’t even need to reply to the email. She said that she just wanted to be sure I understood the depth of her sorrow over what occurred.”

Velma sat back in the booth. “So does all that make you feel better or worse?”

I narrowed my gaze. “I’m actually not sure. I guess I’m glad that the woman really is sorry that her actions led to the deaths of a really good man and his infant son. But her being sorry doesn’t bring them back. On the one hand, the email brought up a horrific event I would just as soon not have been reminded of.” I set my cell phone down on the table. “On the other hand, I do appreciate that the woman was a child who did nothing worse than suffer a lapse in judgment more than three years ago. This lapse in judgment resulted in a horrific tragedy, which she then chose not to own up to, but I don’t think that necessarily makes her a bad person. Truth be told, I’ve glanced down to check a text while driving a time or two as well.”

“It does seem like she really is trying to do the right thing at this point,” Velma offered.

I nodded. “It does.” I took a sip of my iced tea. “I’m actually here to talk about Henry Goodman. I just heard that his body was found in the gazebo in the park.”

She nodded. “I don’t know a lot, but I do know that Buck found him when he went to look at an electrical problem. Apparently, if the rumors are accurate, he was found lying on his side just like Oliver Halifax, and just like Oliver, he had a plastic clam between his hands.”

“Do you know if there was a note inside the clam?”

She shrugged. “Buck didn’t touch anything, so I’m not sure. He found the body and called Colt. If Buck hadn’t been notified about the electrical problem and headed over to check it out, the odds are that the body would have been discovered this evening when half the town was there for the event.”

I frowned. “Did Buck say who called him about the electrical problem?”

She slowly moved her head from left to right. “No, I don’t think he said.”

“It seems odd that Georgia was called yesterday by someone who told her that he worked for the theater company and needed photos of the island. When we arrived, we found Oliver’s body. Then today, Buck is called about an electrical problem in the gazebo, and when he gets there, he finds victim number two.”

“Do you think the calls were intended to make sure that someone found the bodies?”

“Maybe. I guess we’ll have to find out who called Buck. If it turns out that the same person who called Georgia also called Buck, then I’d say the calls and deaths are probably related.”

“I think the deaths have to be related in some way,” Velma agreed. “Both men had a political connection of sorts with the town, and both men were linked to that new development. I know that Goodman was working with the developer to get all the permits approved and processed. Based on what I’ve been able to find out, Oliver Halifax was in a position of breaking any tie over the proposition before the town to allow that developer to build the monstrosity of a resort he’s trying to build.” Velma paused and continued. “If my research is correct, William Covington and Ellington Simpleton are both