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

next fifteen minutes catching her up. “How are you doing with your killer?” I asked after telling her everything I’d learned about our killer since she’d left.

“I spent some time with my team yesterday when I got back to the West Coast. I feel like we’re getting close, although we aren’t quite there yet.”

“I guess these things take time.”

She sighed. “They do. It’s frustrating to wait for the clues to come together when you know that someone else might die before you can figure it out.”

“Tell me about it. I was just thinking the same thing. If we have a fourth victim, it will likely be today. I feel like my skin is crawling with anxiety, but there really isn’t a lot I can do that I haven’t already done.”

“It’s not your job to catch this guy. It’s Colt’s, and I can tell that he’s a good cop. He’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, I think so too. By the way, I called and spoke to Genevieve yesterday. I wanted her to track down some additional information. She’s so fast and so nice. She didn’t seem at all put out that I was taking up her time.”

“Gen is a super nice person. She quit the NSA to work for Ezra because she isn’t a fan of rules and constraints, but in the end, Gen really just wants to catch the bad guy and is always willing to help if she can. She’ll be a good ally for you. I call her all the time, and she’s always happy to help when she can.”

“That’s good to know. Colt and I both really appreciate all the help you’ve provided.”

“I was happy to help and sorry I couldn’t stay longer.”

We chatted for a while longer, but then she had to leave for work, and I wanted to call Colt, so we said goodbye and promised to stay in touch.

My call to Colt went directly to his voicemail. I left him a message, suggesting lunch if he had time, and then I headed over to the inn to say hi to our guests and check in with Georgia. With the clam bake tomorrow, it was likely she’d have errands for me to run, which I’d gladly do. Since there didn’t seem to be anything I could do to help Colt with his investigation, I was happy to stay busy.

I noticed Samantha and Chris sitting on the patio, sipping mugs of coffee before I ever reached the inn, so I changed course and headed in their direction.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Hey, Abby.” Samantha smiled.

I had to admit she looked happier and a lot more relaxed than she had when she’d first arrived.

“Chris and I are just sitting here talking about the clam bake on the island tomorrow. Is it still on? We heard about the murder victim you found and weren’t sure how that would all play out.”

“As of now, the clam bake is still on. The man who died was killed elsewhere, and the police determined there were no additional clues to find on the island, so we have the go-ahead to hold the event.”

“I was sorry to hear that a man died, but happy the event won’t be canceled,” Samantha said. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”

“It should be a good time. In addition to the delicious food Georgia has planned, we have the murder mystery, which is always fun. Be sure to get to the marina early. We have a boat that will ferry guests over, but I expect that a line will form before we’re able to get everyone across.”

“We both planned to head over on the first shuttle,” Samantha confirmed.

“I thought about taking my boat over, but Georgia said there wouldn’t be anywhere to tie up,” Chris added.

“That’s true. There’s only one dock, and the boats we hired will be going back and forth all afternoon and evening, so tying up and staying won’t be possible.” I glanced toward the inn. “I guess I’ll head in and check in with Georgia. You both enjoy this absolutely perfect morning.”

“Oh, we will,” Samantha promised.

Georgia was busy in the kitchen, Joel and Emma were deep in conversation, and it seemed that Rodney hadn’t returned to the inn last night, so I decided to get ready and head into town. If Colt hadn’t called me back by the time I got into town, I’d stop by his office and see if Peach could help me track him down.

As it turned out, no one was at Colt’s office when I arrived. Since the door was locked up tight, I called and left yet another message on Colt’s cell phone and then headed to the rental shop to pick up the items Georgia had reserved for tomorrow night. If Colt still hadn’t called by the time I finished there, maybe I’d try his house. It really wasn’t like him to not call me back even if he was busy. I thought about the last time I’d been unable to contact him. In that instance, he’d been badly injured, so not being able to make contact with him now was bringing up all sorts of insecurities.

After I’d picked up the items from the rental shop, I decided to head over to Velma’s for coffee. Maybe she knew where Colt was. He had breakfast with her almost every morning that he didn’t have breakfast with me.

“Lacy,” I greeted my friend after noticing her sitting at the counter, chatting with Velma. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I guess the twins must be doing better.”

“They are. Of course, this is the hard part where they feel much better and want to play but still aren’t allowed to go outside or overdo it. Lonnie stayed home with them so I could run some necessary errands. I suppose coffee with Velma isn’t an absolutely necessary