A Treasure to Die For (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery Book 1) Read online

  Marquetta ran her tongue across her lower lip as she examined the list. Rick studied her. With her girl-next-door brown hair and gray eyes she reminded him of a grade-school Valentine—the complete opposite of his…what was Giselle? She wasn’t his ex-wife—they were still married. Nevertheless, they hadn’t seen each other since he and Alex moved here.

  “What’s wrong, Rick?”

  Other than he’d married at eighteen, his relationship with Giselle was a catastrophe, and he didn’t know whether to cling to the past or move on? He shook his head. “Nothing. Just thinking how lucky I am you stayed after I inherited this place.”

  “That you are, boss.” Marquetta brushed back a strand of hair and winked at him. “Tell you what. Take your daughter and have some fun. You two deserve it because we’re in for a hectic weekend.”

  Chapter 4

  ALEX

  June 16

  Hey Journal—

  I gotta tell this to someone cause I’m about ready to burst. I can’t tell Marquetta cause she’ll tell Daddy. And I don’t want him to know it’s about him. Marquetta says everybody has stuff they’re hiding, so I don’t feel too guilty. But it makes me super sad cause I ruined my dad’s life.

  He always says it wasn’t cause of me that Mom left us. It was because she wanted to be a big actress in New York and we didn’t fit into her plans. But they were happy before they had me. Daddy’s told me how good it was right after they got married. He’s lonely here in Seaside Cove and it has to be my fault. That’s why I gotta fix the problem.

  If Daddy didn’t have to worry about me, he’d still be in New York with my mom. He says we can’t go back, so I gotta find a way to make him happy again. If he had a girlfriend things would be better. I wanna go to Mrs. Carter’s shop today cause her daughter Bella is coming home in a few weeks. That’s what Marquetta told me. Since I can’t go that far by myself, I fibbed and said I wanted ice cream.

  Marquetta says Mrs. Carter is trying to marry Bella off. I saw a picture of her in the shop a couple months ago. She’s pretty. I asked Marquetta about her one time and she said Bella wasn’t a busybody like her mom. I think that’s good, right?

  Anyway, I feel better cause I wrote this down. I hope I can make Daddy happy again.

  Bye for now,

  Alex

  PS I gotta remember to ask Marquetta if I should be signing this or not.

  Chapter 5

  RICK

  The brass bell attached to the door clanged as Rick and Alex entered Francine Carter’s ice cream shop, Scoops & Scones. Upon moving to town, Rick had discovered that many of the local stores had similarly quaint names. He’d also noticed a distinct lack of chains and franchises. Everything in this town was purely local.

  On several occasions, Francine had reminded Rick this was no ordinary front door bell, but one once owned by Thomas Jefferson himself. The bell had passed through nine generations of Carters, and it was Francine’s sincere hope her daughter would carry on the tradition. The story was usually followed by a not-so-subtle hint that, under the right circumstances, the bell could wind up in Rick’s family.

  “Hello, Rick.” Never one to miss an opportunity to shape public opinion, Francine immediately unleashed her charms on Alex. “And how are you today, dear?”

  “I’m good.”.

  Francine smiled at her, then turned back to Rick. “That’s quite a group of treasure hunters you have staying this weekend. Are there more coming?”

  Well, that was a surprise. Francine actually had something other than Bella’s future on her mind. He said, “The first five checked in yesterday, three more came in this morning.”

  “Oh, my.” Francine patted the back of her curls. “There could be so many more flocking to us. This is wonderful.”

  “Yes, it could be good for everyone.”

  “You know, the town council is discussing how we might capitalize more on all these opportunities. After all, if we could publicize how much lost gold there is around—between the sunken ships coming down from San Francisco to those Joaquin Murietta tales—oh my goodness, Seaside Cove has tremendous potential. Don’t you think?”

  “It’s awesome.” Alex was leaning against Rick’s side, apparently having forgotten all about the dessert cravings she’d been talking about all day. “All that treasure! And they’re all staying with us. I wanna be a treasure hunter when I grow up.”

  “Let’s work on sixth grade first, okay?” Rick gave Alex’s shoulder a playful nudge.

  “Okay,” she chirped, “but these days you gotta plan ahead, Daddy. Right, Mrs. Carter?” Alex left Rick’s side to inspect a photograph hanging on the wall.

  Francine smiled sweetly. “You are absolutely correct. Do you know who took that?”

  “The little card at the bottom says Bella Carter.”

  “Yes, and she will be home from college soon. She’d love to see both of you again.”

  Again? They’d met one time. Here. In this store. The encounter had been short, and Rick doubted if Bella even remembered him. Or Alex. “She’s probably got friends she’ll want to hang out with during her vacation.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Francine trilled like a happy skylark. “We simply must make plans.”

  Alex wandered over to Homer the Turtle’s eighty-gallon tank. She appeared to be ignoring the adult conversation, and that’s when Rick finally got it. The reason they were here had nothing to do with ice cream.

  He scrunched up his cheek and did his best to look apologetic. “Our calendars are pretty full these days. Besides, we need to get back to our guests.” He raised the grocery bag in his arms as a reminder.

  Francine’s eyes and lips rounded. “Oh, I really must talk to you about two of them.” She paused before glancing in Alex’s direction.

  “What about them?” Rick asked.

  “They had quite the altercation. Mr. Gordon and Mr. Richardson. They practically came to blows.” She pointed to the sidewalk. “Right there. Just outside my store.”

  Why hadn’t he heard this before? Rick hated the idea of discussing something akin to a street fight in Seaside Cove even though Alex looked to be enthralled with Homer. “I’d prefer to discuss this when Alex isn’t around.”

  Francine screwed up her face and gave him a firm nod as her eyes cut toward the fish tank. “I understand. Children are so malleable at that age. But, you simply must find a solution. The animosity between those two men is absolutely palpable.”

  Alex beamed as she turned away from the tank. “Homer’s happy today.”

  “Yes, dear, he is.” Francine gave the girl another condescending smile.

  “Alex, let’s get your ice cream,” Rick said.

  “Does Homer ever get lonely?”

  “I don’t think so, dear. He is, after all, merely a turtle. Why do you ask?”

  “So turtles don’t have feelings like people?”

  Rick glared at his daughter. He’d guessed correctly. This outing was all about a little girl playing matchmaker. “Sometimes, people need time alone, Alex.” He mirrored one of Francine’s standard mayoral smiles. “You agree. Right, Francine?”

  But, before she could answer, Alex changed the topic by pointing to a sunset photo hanging above Homer’s tank. “Was that taken here?”

  “Bella took it just last month. I love the way she captured the oranges, reds, and grays. She’s quite talented, isn’t she? And, Rick, she’ll be here for an entire week. You should join us for a small soirée. Bella would be delighted.”

  Great. Here they went again. Round 2. Rick’s jaw tightened at the mere thought of an evening with Francine. “I’m sure she’d rather spend time catching up with you and her friends.”

  Alex shifted her bag of groceries and shook her head. “Daddy, I think it’s nice Mrs. Carter wants us to come over. We don’t ever do much since we moved here.”

  “It’s going to be busy at the B&B,” he snapped. “We have to have coverage and Marquetta might need a day or two off.”
/>   “Nonsense,” Francine scoffed. “I’ll clear it with Marquetta. I’m sure she’ll be quite willing to cover for you. It’s the least she can do.”

  “Let’s see how Bella feels about it.” Rick cleared his throat. “Besides, you’ll only have one week together and you’re bound to want some mother-daughter time with her.”

  He tried to let his gaze telegraph the message that he was not happy with Alex, but she ignored him and continued to inspect the artwork.

  “I’m sorry to have disturbed you, Francine. It appears my daughter didn’t want anything after all.”

  “No! I do.”

  “Then you’d better order.” He was tired of this ambush. When had his little girl turned into such a con artist?

  Francine leaned against the counter and craned her neck toward Alex. “The usual?”

  “Yes, please. A double scoop. Tell us about the fight!”

  “Single,” Rick snapped. “In a cup. No cone.”

  Alex shrugged and gazed up at Francine. “So what happened?”

  “Since when are you so interested in physical violence, Alex?”

  Her answer was an exaggerated eye roll. It must mean he was clueless because one look told him there was genuine interest on her face. Now he was really trapped. How was he going to escape without losing the rest of the afternoon?

  “Well.” Francine emphasized the word, indulged herself by slowly taking in her audience of two, then began. “It started when Mr. Gordon ran into that nasty Mr. Richardson. Apparently, Mr. Richardson organized this weekend with all those guests you have and now he’s denying that he did it. His entire claim of innocence sounded extremely weak to me.” She paused and let her gaze fall on Alex.

  So Gordon had confronted Cadman Richardson after all? Rick wasn’t about to reveal his conversation on the patio with Gordon. No way. Francine would spread the word like the gospel on Sunday morning.

  When asked if he wanted a scoop of his own, Rick declined, which earned him a disapproving glance but nothing more. She handed a cup and spoon to Alex while prattling on. “From the way they were yelling at each other, you’d think they were launching a mission to Mars. I was certain their disagreement would turn physical, so I called Deputy Cunningham on his personal cell phone. I told him to get over here tout de suite.”

  “What’s toot sweets mean?” Alex asked as she dug into the chocolate with her spoon.

  “You’ll have to work on the pronunciation a bit, dear, but it’s mayor talk for right this instant.” Francine glanced up and winked. “She’s so adorable. Alex, would you like to visit with Bella when she comes home?”

  “Sure, Mrs. Carter.”

  “It’s not a good idea, Francine.” Rick held the woman’s gaze until she shrugged.

  “If that’s your parental opinion.”

  Francine sounded miffed, but Rick didn’t care. “Perhaps if I need a babysitter, but Alex is too young to have friends of college age.”

  Alex’s lack of a protest wasn’t surprising. Apparently, she had no personal interest in Bella other than her potential role as a romantic lead in this drama Rick called a life. He caught a sudden change in Francine’s demeanor and felt his pulse quicken. What was coming next?

  “Speaking of older women, you never have said what happened to your wife.” Francine once again patted her coiffed hair as she gave him her best mayoral smile.

  He wasn’t about to discuss Giselle in the presence Francine, either. The woman mainlined gossip like a junkie did cocaine. She was a master at the art of keeping her prey off balance and had three topics he knew of—how many more were in her arsenal?

  There was only one way out.

  The desperation move.

  The long pass. He needed a Hail Mary. What did he have to lose?

  Rick leaned forward, lowered his voice to a conspiratorial level, and said, “Francine, they’re not arguing over the invitations. That argument was all about sunken treasure. Let me tell you about the legend of the San Manuel.”

  Chapter 6

  RICK

  “In 1582, a young sea captain anxious to show his worth to King Philip II of Spain recruited an inexperienced crew to transport Incan gold to Manila.”

  Rick watched as Francine leaned closer, hanging on his every word. Alex, too, seemed eager to hear the story. He had to make this good. Close enough to what he’d heard from his guests to be plausible, detailed enough to capture Francine’s interest. “You’re probably aware that navigation wasn’t anywhere close to today’s standards. For instance, those sailors had nothing like your topographic map on the wall.”

  Francine and Alex both turned their heads and gazed to the map of the bay Rick had indicated. He wanted to burst out laughing, but instead continued. “So this captain—oh, I wish I could remember this name—in any case, he had a Dutch navigator who had made two previous Manila sailings and whose role was to protect the interests of the financiers of the project.” Rick lowered his voice. “The financiers were Dutch merchants and from what we’ve discovered he may have been a less than honest man. Quite possibly he had decided he was tired of risking his life as a seaman when he might earn more money on land, if you know what I mean. Rumor has it he was looking for early retirement.”

  “Oh, my,” Francine whispered.

  Alex no longer paid attention to her ice cream, but watched Rick eagerly.

  “So, the experienced navigator and the eager young captain left the port of Acapulco despite an approaching hurricane. Now, Alex, you probably don’t know this, but I’m sure Francine does. Tropical cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere rotate counter-clockwise, but it’s the opposite below the equator.”

  “Oh—yes, of course.” Francine patted the back of her hair and fanned herself with one hand.

  “Mrs. Carter? Are you going through the change?”

  Rick nearly choked. “Alex! That’s an inappropriate question.”

  Francine cleared her throat. “It’s a little warm in here, dear.”

  “Alex, apologize to Mrs. Carter.”

  “I’m sorry,” Alex said, then she looked up at Rick. “What did I do, Daddy?”

  Before he could answer, Francine said, “Nothing, dear. You’ll be studying the subject in school soon enough.” She straightened up and put her shoulders back. Her face flushed, and she fanned herself again as she stared at the far wall where another of Bella’s landscape photographs predominated. This one was of the Seaside Cove lighthouse. “Don’t stop now, what happened to the San Manuel? Did they sink here? Near Seaside Cove?”

  “That’s what Jim Gordon and his band of treasure hunters think. They have a map showing the location. I guess this is sort of an organizational meeting. Who knows, they might be mounting a major expedition out of Seaside Cove in the future.”

  Francine’s hand went to her chest, and she sucked in a slow breath. “That would be wonderful for the town. Can you imagine all the tourists, the workers…the additional tax revenue.”

  “Yes,” Rick nodded. “That would be good for all of us.” Had he laid it on too thick? “It’s not a sure thing, Francine.”

  “Oh, by the way, speaking of people coming to town, were you aware that Bella graduates from Wharton next year? She took that lighthouse picture, of course. And that magnificent sunset everyone likes so much.”

  What? He’d spun that big yarn, and she’d still come back to her daughter? This couldn’t be happening. Unable to come up with a better answer, he said, “I believe you have told me that before.”

  “Oh. I’m just so proud of her. What night should we have you and Alex come for dinner? You’d like that, wouldn’t you, dear?” Francine smiled at Alex over the counter.

  “Ur-fect!” Alex blurted through a mouthful of chocolate.

  Rick felt his temperature rising. These two had tag teamed him. Just when he thought he’d gotten away unscathed. “No talking with your mouth full,” he snapped.

  Despite the spoon, Alex had chocolate everywhere and Rick had a burning des
ire to clean her up with a wet napkin. But, the last time he did that, he was the one who received the scolding. It appeared that, as of age ten, Alex considered herself All Grown Up. Well, so be it. Tonight at bedtime, he and his daughter were having an adult-sized talk about priorities. Specifically, his, which did not include marriage for the foreseeable future.

  “Shall we say Wednesday night—two weeks hence, perhaps, seven-ish?”

  Not. Happening. Rick sighed and hoped it came off as disappointment, not exasperation. “I don’t know, Francine we’re swamped with these treasure hunters right now.”

  “Oh, nonsense. Your guests will be gone after the weekend. And your daughter needs a good, home-cooked meal. I doubt if Marquetta is making sure she is fed properly.”

  “Argeta…”

  “Alex! What did I tell you?”

  Alex paused, swallowed, and said, “Sorry. But…”

  “Finish your ice cream.”

  Francine’s eyes sparkled, and Rick suspected it was the same look a lion had immediately before pouncing on a gazelle. It wouldn’t surprise him if the mayor hadn’t already picked out a ring.

  This was a losing battle. His diversionary tactic had failed, so his best option was to beat a hasty retreat. “Maybe at some point when things settle down.”

  Francine waved her hands in the air. “Bella won’t be here for two weeks. I’ll make something special. What’s your favorite dinner, Alex?”

  “Mac and cheese. Daddy makes the best.”

  “I’m sure he does, dear.” Francine sighed, then skewered Rick with a disapproving stare. “You really must feed her better. I’ll make all the arrangements. I’ll also talk to Marquetta at the next town council meeting and tell her you need more guidance.”

  “Please, don’t.” The problem was, she would. No matter how he felt. He had a business to run in this little town and didn’t need the mayor and his cook bickering over how to feed his daughter. “Marquetta has plenty of other duties. We’re small, Francine, so we all do everything.”