I really need to figure out a title for this book.
Or at least a working title.
Here is the first two chapters of the 8th book in the Valentine Mysteries. Note that this is a rough draft, so they’ll likely be grammar and/or spelling issues, and the content could eventually change as I get closer to publishing the book. For example, I’m looking at adding a sexy bit either before the scene in chapter 1 (although I like how the story is beginning) or the end of chapter 2/beginning chapter 3.
Still, you can see the early beginnings of a story.
Chapter One
“This is starting to become a thing with us.”
Tess glanced at Jack standing next to her, looking into the rowboat they’d planned a romantic morning in. “You sound like Daniel.”
He quirked a brow. “Am I wrong?”
Tess shrugged. He wasn’t wrong. “Call it bad luck.”
He turned to her, rubbed her arms. “This was supposed to be a romantic vacation to celebrate our first anniversary.”
She gave him a wan smile. “I know.”
He glanced at the rowboat and then to her again. “Maybe we should have stayed home.”
Tess wasn’t sure that would have mattered. He was right. This was a thing with them.
Movement behind her had her turning. Daniel approached, coming to a stand next to her and Jack. He looked into the rowboat and then turned to them. “This is starting to be a thing with you two.”
Tess rolled her eyes.
Daniel pulled out his notepad. “So, who’s the dead guy?”
“What makes you think we know him?” Jack’s tone suggested he was annoyed at Daniel’s question. Tess couldn’t be sure if his irritation was from having to deal with Daniel, the man who was once in love with her, or at having their anniversary trip ruined. Probably both.
Tess put her hand on Jack’s forearm. He’d been the one to bring up how falling over dead bodies seemed to be a regular thing in their life, so he shouldn’t be too annoyed at Daniel’s bringing it up.
“We don’t know him. All we know is that he was staying in the cottage over there.” Tess pointed to the small bungalow adjacent to the main structure they had been staying in.
Daniel looked toward the bungalow and then scanned the rest of the property before turning his attention back to them. “What is this place?”
“It’s a vacation rental property. We’re staying in the house over there, but the owners also own that smaller building over there,” Tess explained.
“So, you’re here for a vacation?”
“It’s our anniversary,” Jack said curtly.
Daniel let out a laugh. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Tess frowned at him. “You were there, at our wedding.”
“I know I was. And an hour before the two of you got married, I was helping save you from a murderer.” He shook his head. “One year to the day —”
Tess glared at him. “First of all, I saved myself, and second of all, our anniversary is tomorrow.”
Daniel scoffed. “Okay. So how did you come upon… Who did you say he was?”
Jack inhaled a breath like he was trying to settle his nerves. “We don’t know him. We saw him briefly when we arrived, and we didn’t see him again until this morning when we came out to take the boat out on the river.”
“You didn’t hear anything?”
“Nothing.”
Daniel walked over to the boat to study the body. “There doesn’t seem to be any outward signs of a struggle or cause of death. But I don’t want to get him out of here or turn him over until the medical examiner gets here.”
“It’s possible he fell or had a medical event,” Tess said.
“We won’t know until an ME shows up.”
Tess looked up at Jack, intending to tell him they should return to the house and let Daniel do his job. While they might have gotten involved in other deaths they encountered over the last year, there was no reason for them to get involved in this one. Especially since there wasn’t any sign that it was a murder.
But Jack was looking at his phone, his brows furrowed as he read through something.
Tess leaned over to see his screen. “What are you reading?”
“He seems familiar, don’t you think?”
Tess thought about that for a moment. The man was probably in his late thirties or early forties. A regular looking sort of man; not handsome but not ugly. Nothing about him stood out to her. “I suppose in an everyman sort of way.”
“He was on the news recently. In fact, I think Kate interviewed him.” He turned the phone to her, and Tess glanced through the article online.
“Oh yeah, he was the chef of that restaurant in Georgetown we liked. Isn’t he about to have his own TV show?”
“Who?” Daniel looked over Tess’ shoulder.
“Josh Fowler.” Jack held up the phone for Daniel to see.
“Showalter,” the call came from a man covered in a white jumpsuit used to protect crime scenes.
“Dead man is over here.” Daniel led the ME back to the rowboat. A few moments later he returned. “Do you know this Fowler guy?”
Jack shook his head. “No, not really. His restaurant was popular. He seemed likeable but I think he had a reputation for being a bit of a womanizer, especially after his restaurant earned a Michelin star. I think he’s divorced or separated. Not sure.”
“Did you see him with anyone? Why was he here?”
“We didn’t talk to him,” Tess said. “I didn’t see anyone around him.”
Jack shook his head. “I didn’t either. If you really want to know about him, you should call Kate.”
Tess winced as she saw the subtle change in Daniel’s expression at the mention of Kate. While Jack was right in thinking Kate, with her tendency to do copious research on her interview subjects, would know a lot about Fowler, considering the state of Daniel and Kate’s relationship, it was a little insensitive to suggest it.
“Any idea what killed him?” she asked.
Daniel held up a pen-like device in a baggie. “He had an epi-pen. This one is unused, although the ME can’t say if he died of an allergic reaction at this time.”
“Does he have one of those medical bracelets?” Jack asked.
Daniel shook his head. “Not on him. I’m going to go check the cottage.”
Tess bit her lower lip as she watched Daniel walk away. “I should go talk to him.”
“There’s no evidence that this is anything but an accident.”
She looked at Jack. “Not about Mr. Fowler. About Kate.”
It took a moment, but then Jack’s expression turned regretful. “I mentioned Kate, didn’t I?”
“A couple of times. I’ll just check on him.”
“I’ll go start breakfast.” Jack leaned forward, giving her a quick kiss.
Tess followed Daniel to the tiny cottage.
When she entered, Daniel held up a hand. “Until I know the manner of death, you can’t come in here.”
She nodded and stayed in the doorway, watching as Daniel poked around the small-studio style bungalow with gloves on his hands. He picked up a plastic container and sniffed, and then set it down. Next to it was a small notebook. Daniel thumbed through it. He stopped on a page, his eyes narrowing and his jaw tightening. He sucked in a breath and dropped it next to the container, then checked his watch.
“Everything okay?”
He shrugged. “Sure.” He continued to look around.
“I meant with you personally. I’m sorry about bringing up Kate.”
Daniel waved off her apology. “No need to apologize. I’m just focusing on what happened here.”
His response was expected. Daniel wasn’t one to share his feelings. Tess sometimes wondered if he even knew or understood his own feelings.
She switched gears, unable to hold back her curiosity. “What was in the notebook?”
He glanced at the notebook on the table. “It’s a planner.”
“Anything interesting in it?”
“Only if Mr. Fowler was murdered.” He moved away from the kitchen area to a duffle bag.
Tess didn’t say anything as she watched him methodically move around the room. But her mind was filled with questions. What was in the planner that would make a difference in Mr. Fowler’s death?
“I’m not seeing anything indicating he’s allergic.” Daniel made his way to the door.
“I guess you’ll have to see what the autopsy says.” Tess watched him, wishing she could say something that would make him smile. He rarely smiled as it was, but since he and Kate ended things, he was even more dour.
“Shouldn’t you be celebrating your anniversary?” he asked as she backed up so he could step out onto the small porch and shut the door.
“Yes. Jack is making breakfast. Want to join us?” Inwardly, Tess winced, knowing Jack wouldn’t be happy to have his nemesis for breakfast during an anniversary vacation.
Daniel’s lips twitched up just a hair. Enough that it felt like a small victory. “Yeah, no.” He checked his watch again.
“Do you need to be somewhere?”
“Nope.” He glanced up toward the long drive from the road to the two dwellings on the property.
A car approached and Tess wondered if it was another detective or someone else in the ME’s office.
The car pulled in front of the bungalow and parked.
“Oh God.” Tess’ stomach sank.
“Right on time.”
She looked up at Daniel. “What are you talking about?”
He glanced down at her. “It was in the planner.” He stepped forward to greet the woman getting out of the car. “Hello Kate.”
Chapter Two
Jack started a pot of coffee and then pulled eggs and veggies from the fridge preparing to make a scramble for breakfast. He regretted mentioning Kate earlier, although not necessarily because it would hurt Daniel. Not that he wanted to hurt the guy, but Jack was still wary of the man who once loved Tess, and who was now single again.
No, his regret was that because Tess cared for Daniel, she felt compelled to make sure he was okay, which meant she was with him at the moment and not here. Jack admired her loyalty to Daniel, but sometimes it irked as well. The one thing that never concerned Jack was her devotion to him. Oh sure, there was a time when he worried her fears about love made her commitment to him not as solid as he’d like. But she proved her love and trust in him when he had amnesia. He’d questioned their relationship, but she didn’t waver. And so now he didn’t either.
The sound of a car drew Jack from the eggs he was mixing in a bowl to the large window overlooking the drive. It parked in front of Fowler’s cottage and a woman stepped out. Except it wasn’t just any woman. It was Kate. Jack watched as Kate approached Tess and Daniel. He wasn’t close enough to see their faces to know how the exchange was going. Why was she here? It had to be for a story, but it was too soon for the word to be out that Fowler was dead.
Tess finally made her way back to their cottage.
“You won’t believe who just showed up,” Tess said entering the kitchen.
“Kate. I saw from the window.” Jack poured her cup of coffee and handed it to her. “How is it possible she knew about his death?”
“She didn’t.” She sipped her coffee and Jack waited for her to elaborate. “Turns out, she had an appointment with him. Daniel had just found it in his appointment book.”
Jack frowned. “Like a book book or his phone?”
“Book.”
“Huh. Strange. I’d have thought a guy like Fowler would have a digital planner.” Jack resumed chopping veggies. “Does Daniel think the death is suspicious?”
“Let’s hope for Kate’s sake that it’s an accident or natural causes.”
“Oh?” Jack turned toward her; his brow arched with intrigue.
“I don’t know. Daniel made a similar comment, but it’s probably just his hurt feelings about the breakup. Still, her having an appointment at this time and Fowler being found dead could be suspicious if it is murder.”
“Kate’s too smart to kill a guy at the time she’s supposed to meet with him,” Jack said, putting the veggies in the pan with butter to soften them up before adding the eggs.
“True.”
“How was it with them?”
Tess made an exasperated sound as she sat at the already set table. “Those two.”
Jack laughed. “I’ll be honest, I never really understood them. He’s so…anal and she’s so…opposite.” Jack added the eggs and folded them as they cooked.
“Some would say I was anal and you’re opposite.”
He glanced at her and grinned. “Would you say that?”
She shrugged.
He divided the scramble onto two plates and brought them to the table. “I would argue that it’s not the same. It’s by degrees. They’re at the far ends of anal and whatever is opposite.”
She thought about that. “Maybe.”
He sat at the table. “What’s your take?”
“I was hoping they’d be like yin and yang.”
Jack reached over and took her hand. “It hurts you too that they hurt.”
She nodded. “Yes. I would have liked for them to have what we have.”
Jack’s heart did a little dance. “And what do we have?”
She gave him a flirty smile. “You know.”
Jack scooted his chair closer to her. “Enlighten me.”
“Well…there’s the fact that you cook.”
“Daniel doesn’t cook?” He leaned in closer to her. “Or is cooking a euphemism?”
“Both.” Her gaze drifted to his lips and Jack’s appetite switched from eggs to something sensual. He was considering having dessert first when there was a knock on the door.
Tess groaned in frustration. “You have better timing too.” She rose to answer the door.
Jack sighed. How was it that this anniversary trip was turning into a disaster?
“Kate.”
“I guess were you expecting Daniel.” Bitterness laced Kate’s tone. Jack couldn’t blame her too much. He’d often been annoyed at the closeness of Tess and Daniel’s friendship. But Kate’s jealousy often got the best of her. Tess was a good friend to put up with it.
“Come in.” Apparently, Tess was going to ignore the remark.
Jack rose and got another mug to offer Kate coffee.
When Kate entered the kitchen, she stopped short and took a deep breath. “I’m being a bitch, aren’t I? You and Jack are celebrating and I’m intruding.”
Jack hoped Tess would tell her yes and send her on her way, but he knew she wouldn’t.
“Are you okay?” Tess asked.
“Can I get you coffee?” Jack offered.
Kate gave him an apologetic smile. “I’d love some, actually. I won’t stay long, I promise. I just need a minute.”
“Of course. Sit.” Tess motioned to the kitchen table.
Jack poured the coffee and set it in front of Kate. He wondered if he should leave and let the ladies chat.
“Jack, did you know Josh?” Kate asked him.
He was surprised by her question. Why would he know Josh Fowler. “Not any more than anyone else, why?”
“He spent a lot of time in business circles. I thought maybe you’d met him that way.”
Jack shook his head. “Tess and I ate at his restaurant a few times, but that’s it.”
“Were you doing another story on him?” Tess asked.
Kate’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “Are you helping him?”
Tess sucked in a breath. Jack recognized it as her way to calm her own annoyance. “Help him with what? We found Mr. Fowler dead and called the police. There’s no reason to think it was anything but an accident or illness.”
Kate made another apologetic expression. “I’m sorry. I just…” She rubbed her temples. “I think Daniel thinks I killed him.”
“He said that?” Tess glanced over at Jack who shrugged.
“Not in so many words. He gave me the third degree though on why I was here, what was my business with Josh…”
Jack wondered what her business was, and he figured Tess did too, but she didn’t ask. It was a wise move as Kate would only see it as Tess getting involved and helping Daniel.
“It’s none of his business.” The anger had left Kate’s voice, replaced with sadness and maybe regret. Jack hadn’t thought Kate and Daniel were compatible, but clearly their breakup took a toll on the both of them.
“He probably thought you might have information that could help him piece together what happened,” Tess suggested.
Jack winced. Kate wasn’t going to like that.
“Then maybe he should have asked that,” Kate snapped. “Instead, he was interrogating me.”
Tess put her hand over Kate’s. “I’m sorry about all this.”
Kate sighed. “It’s not your fault. Josh would be dead, Daniel would be looking into it, and I’d have still shown up even if you weren’t here. You two have terrible luck around these things.” She looked at Tess with sadness. “I’ve been working so hard to get my life in order, you know. Each time I think I’m there, God throws in a monkey wrench usually in the form of Daniel. He’s like a bad penny.”
Jack hid his amusement at that statement behind his coffee mug as he sipped. He often felt the same about Daniel.
Kate blew out a breath. “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone did off Josh. God, he was a total douche.”
Jack studied Tess, knowing she was dying to ask Kate about Josh but knowing she needed to tread lightly.
“I’ve heard chefs can be jerks. I wonder who would want him dead?”
Jack was impressed at how Tess was able to ask the question without appearing like she was asking a question.
“There were several. His ex-wife. Millie Monroe.” Kate looked at Tess. “Me.”
Tess shook her head. “You wouldn’t kill anyone.”
If she did kill someone, it would have been Daniel, Jack thought but didn’t dare speak out loud. Instead, he asked, “Millie Monroe? Who’s that?”
“Millie’s Miserly Meals.”
Jack was still confused.
“It’s a show on TV. It’s like cooking for people who don’t have time or money for fancy food. It’s all over social media how she was ousted to make room for Josh’s show.”
Jack looked at Tess who shrugged. Clearly they didn’t watch enough food related TV. “What show does Josh have?”
“It’s not on yet,” Kate said. “New season starts in the fall.”
“Well, like I said, we don’t know that he was murdered,” Tess said.
“Yeah, well, tell Daniel that.” Kate turned her coffee mug in her hands, watching the brown brew as if the answers she needed would be found there. Finally, she said, “If he was killed, I might need a lawyer.”
Jack’s eyes rounded as he looked at Tess.
Tess arched a brow but was able to keep any shock she felt from showing. “Why is that?”
Kate blew out a breath and set her palms on the table. “I can’t tell you. Thank you for the coffee.” She rose from her chair.
Tess stood. “Kate if you—”
“Happy anniversary, you two. I’m sorry I crashed your party.” Kate gave Tess a hug. Jack rose from his chair, accepting a hug as well.
Tess tried again. “Kate, if you need help—”
“Nope. All is good. I’ve got to run. I’ll call later.” Kate hurried out the door.
“What was that about?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know.” Tess’ gaze stayed on Kate’s wake. She bit her lower lip as she finally turned to Jack. “But it can’t be good.”
Jack put his hands on Tess’ arms, rubbing them. “As you said, we don’t know that Fowler was murdered so there’s no reason to get involved.”
She arched a brow. “What makes you think I plan on getting involved?”
Jack laughed.
Tess gave him a sheepish smile. “Okay. But she’s my friend. I was already worried about her after her and Daniel’s break up, but now this.”
“Of course, you’re going to be there for her. Just like you were there for me.”
“More than once, mind you.”
Jack pretended to look offended. “What do you mean?”
“Well you were implicated or associated with murder investigations involving Asa. Liv. Cecilia—”
“Okay, okay.” He tugged her in closer. “How do you put up with me?”
She settled against him. “You’re nice to look at.”
“And I can cook.” Jack waggled his brows.
“Are you talking about food or something else?”
“Both.”
“Show me.” She tugged on the front of his shirt, pulling him to her for a kiss. When it wasn’t a quick one, he banded his arms around her, ready to pick her up and head to the bedroom.
“Ahem.”
Jack was unable to hold back his groan. He lifted his head to see Daniel standing in the kitchen. “Don’t you knock?”
“Door was open. If you want, I’ll wait.”
Jack was tempted to tell him to do just that. But Tess pressed her hand on his chest, a silent signal to let it go.
“Is there something you need?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened as if he knew he was about to ask something he didn’t want to speak out loud. “Did Kate tell you anything?”
Jack rested his hand on Tess’ shoulder, knowing this was the toughest part of being friends with Kate and Daniel; being in the middle.
“Daniel, I’m not going to talk about you about Kate.”
“She thinks you think she murdered Fowler.” Jack earned a glare from Tess. Jack figured he didn’t share anything confidential. For example, he didn’t tell Daniel that Kate seemed to have a secret about Fowler that would make her a suspect.
“We don’t know that he was murdered,” Daniel said.
“That’s what I told her.”
“She didn’t say—”
Tess held up a hand to stop him. “I’m not going to do this Daniel. Is this even about Fowler? Or is it regret. Or jealousy?”
Good points, Jack thought.
Daniel tensed. “I can see I’ve caught you at a bad time. I’ll just go.” He turned to leave.
“I won’t change my mind later,” Tess called after him. “I won’t be put between you two.”
When the door shut, Jack pulled her back to him. He didn’t say so, but he knew if Fowler did turn out to be a victim of murder, Tess would indeed be put in between them as she’d want to help Kate. Instead, he said, “Maybe we should go home. It’s easier to keep the riff raff out there.”
She smiled and looped her arms around him. “I thought you were going to cook.”
