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

and to answer any questions or deal with any problems that may arise.”

“And the food?” I asked.

“Tanner is going to pick up Mylie and Nikki, who are going to bring it over closer to event time. We’ll be dependent on ice chests since there isn’t any electricity on the island.”

“So will there be tiki torches and a bonfire for light once it gets dark?”

“We shouldn’t have to deal with the darkness, but we do plan to provide both for atmosphere.”

“And what are the arrival and departure times for the boats ferrying the guests?” I asked.

“The first boat will drop guests off on the island at four o’clock, and I think we should have all fifty guests ferried over by five. The theater company will explain the setup for the murder mystery while drinks and appetizers are served buffet style. Once the rules and the setup are explained, the guests will divide into teams and then begin the process of following the clues that will be provided in plastic clams. During this time, the guests will be free to mingle so they can ask each other questions and that sort of thing.”

“Will our staff need to do anything during that portion of the evening?” I wondered.

“No. The theater company will run the mystery. Jeremy and I will prepare the meal during that time, and Nikki and Mylie will manage the drinks and appetizers. We plan to sit down for dinner around seven. The theater group plans to wrap up the mystery during the meal, and the first ferry back to the marina will leave at eight-thirty. We hope to have everyone back to the marina by nine-thirty. Tanner and his buddy, Harold, are both bringing their boats, so our group should be able to head back with them.”

“And what about the meal itself?” I asked.

“In addition to clams, I have lobster, shrimp, scallops, crab, corn cobs, and potatoes. I also have plenty of salads and desserts.”

“It sounds like you’ve thought of everything,” I acknowledged.

“I hope so. We’re not going to be able to run into town if we find we’ve forgotten something. It’s a risk having the event on the island rather than at the inn, but if we pull this off, I think that it’s going to be the sort of thing folks talk about for years to come.”

“At least the weather forecast looks to be just about perfect,” Colt said. “I was somewhat concerned it would rain when I first heard your plan.”

“Don’t even say that,” Georgia paled. “I need to take some photos for the theater company members who have little skits to act out. I’ll need about thirty minutes if the rest of you want to wander around.”

During the wandering around portion of our evening, I stumbled across the last thing I wanted to find.

“Is that...?” I asked.

“Oliver Halifax,” Colt said as he jogged forward and knelt down in the sand next to the very dead body of the local town councilman.

     

Chapter 3

After we’d found Oliver’s body the previous afternoon, Colt had called his office and requested that both the coroner and one of his deputies come out to the island to see to the removal of the body. Tanner had brought Georgia and me back to the cottage, where I made a sandwich, and Georgia grabbed her dog and an overnight bag to take to Tanner’s. Colt had promised to call when he found out more about what was going on, but he never did. I supposed I’d call him for an update this morning.

Once the coffee had brewed, I settled onto the sofa with my dog, Molly, and my cat, Rufus. I hated waking to an alarm, so I enjoyed the quiet when I happened to naturally wake before dawn. As the first hint of daylight appeared on the horizon, I refilled my coffee, grabbed a blanket, and took both animals out onto my private deck overlooking the sea.

Unless Georgia had made arrangements with Jeremy to handle breakfast, which I imagined she might have, I supposed she would be home soon. Jeremy and Georgia worked well together, each giving the other needed breaks and vacation time. Georgia and I both felt that we’d really lucked out that he’d chosen our inn to stay at when he’d come to the area looking for a job shortly after we’d opened.

“Morning, Abby,” Georgia poked her head out the sliding glass door. “You’re up early.”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to watch the sunrise.” I held up my mug. “There’s coffee if you have time.”

“I have time. Tanner had a class, so he dropped me off early. I’ll just grab a mug and be right back.”

By the time Georgia returned and settled onto the lounger next to me, the sky had just begun to turn a deep red. Ramos and Molly greeted each other by running around in circles on the sand while Rufus watched from the safety of a lounge chair.

“Have you spoken to Colt?” Georgia asked.

“Not yet, but I do plan to call him.”

“Tanner called and spoke to Colt early this morning,” she informed me. “They spoke for quite a while, and while I didn’t hear everything that was said, Tanner did mention that Colt had shared that the coroner found a little plastic clam between Oliver’s hands which no one had noticed until after the coroner had taken a closer look.”

“Do you mean a plastic clam like the ones the theater company plans to use for the murder mystery?”

“Exactly like that. Like the clams used for the mystery, the clam found in Halifax’s hand opened. A piece of paper which simply said greed was inside the clam.”

“Greed?” I asked. “That’s it?”

Georgia nodded.

“What on earth could that mean?”

“I’m not sure. Tanner wasn’t sure either, but