A Deadly Pair O'Docks Read online

  A Deadly Pair O’Docks

  Nicole Ellis

  Copyright © 2018 by Nicole Ellis

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  1

  “So tell me about your friends. What are they like?” I pressed on the brake to halt my minivan at the stoplight and glanced at my sister-in-law, Desi, who was riding in the passenger seat. We were on our way to meet with a client of the Boathouse Event Center, who happened to be a friend of Desi’s.

  “It’s been a while, but back in college we all had a lot of fun together. Becca and I were roommates for our freshman and sophomore years at the University of Washington. Then we moved into a house off-campus for the last two years. Lindsay was a friend of Becca’s from high school and rented a room in the house too.” Desi looked thoughtful. “I haven’t kept up with the rest of them very well. Becca and I do chat online sometimes, but I was a little surprised when she asked me to be a bridesmaid, much less the matron of honor.” She shrugged.

  “So how did Lindsay and Becca meet their significant others? They were part of your group too, right?” The light changed to green and I hit the gas. Desi and I were on our way to Becca’s family’s lake house, where most of the wedding party was staying.

  “That’s a funny story, actually. Lindsay was dating Bill, but when he met Becca, he only had eyes for her. They’ve been together ever since, but only recently decided to tie the knot.”

  “That doesn’t sound too funny for Lindsay.” I turned off on a smaller blacktop road, following the curves as they wound through grassy fields and wooded forests. In town, most of the grass had turned brown from the August heat, but out here the shade from the trees had kept everything green.

  “Well, I suppose it wasn’t,” Desi admitted. “But she got over it quickly. We always teased her that she set them up. Anyways, it doesn’t matter. She met her husband, Declan, through Bill, and they were married right after Lindsay graduated. Now, Bill, Declan, and another friend are partners in a dentistry office in Seattle.”

  “Hmm. I guess it did work out.” I kept my eyes on the road, searching for the marker for Lake Elinor. “Did we miss the turnoff?”

  She peered out the window. “I don’t think so, but maybe? It’s been so long since I was last out here. We used to come out in the summers to swim and water ski in the lake.” She tapped on the window. “Jill, I think that’s it, coming up by that grove of trees.”

  I slowed the car, eyeing the street sign before turning off. Lake Elinor Road. Sure enough, we’d finally found it. There weren’t any public parks on the lake and I’d only been out here once before, for a party at the lake house of someone Adam worked with. Forty minutes out of town, Lake Elinor was far enough away that it felt like a vacation spot, but close enough for easy access to the city. Underneath the tires, the broken pavement crunched and we bounced in and out of potholes.

  “They sure don’t spend much on maintenance for this road,” I grumbled.

  “I think it’s owned by the Lake Elinor Homeowner’s Association, not the county.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Desi glance at the driving instructions in her lap.

  “It says to take the first right onto Forrest Street and then a left onto Canary Road.”

  I dutifully followed her directions. Down the hill, the lake gleamed in the late summer sunlight. It wasn’t a giant lake, but plenty big enough for water skiing fun and fishing.

  “I think it’s the brown house over there on the lakefront.” Desi consulted the piece of paper.

  “Which one?” At least half the houses on the lake were painted brown.

  “The one with the three decks.”

  I pulled into the driveway behind a BMW, a Mercedes, and an Audi. A new-model truck with a boat trailer attached was parked on the side of the house. My Toyota Sienna rarely saw the inside of a car wash, but now I wished I’d taken more care to present a professional appearance. These might be Desi’s friends, but they were also clients of mine and I wanted to make a good impression.

  We got out of the car and stretched our legs. To take my mind off my not-so-clean minivan, I checked out the house. It was bigger than it appeared from afar. Judging by the mix of housing styles surrounding the lake, I doubted it had been the original structure. It was three stories tall and built in the Northwest contemporary style, with two tall, exposed wooden beams holding up a sharply V-shaped roofline. On one side of Becca’s house was a small cabin with a tiny dock. On the other side was an ultramodern towering glass monstrosity that made the house we were visiting look middle-class.

  The door opened before Desi and I managed to make it up the front steps. A Chihuahua wearing a bright-pink collar poked its nose out from behind the door. It looked so much like a large rat that I reflexively stepped back.

  “Desi, you made it,” cried an Asian woman in her early thirties.“Tilly, you can’t go out there.” She nudged the dog back inside and closed the door before running up to Desi and wrapping her arms around her. Desi returned the hug and then the woman stepped back, regarding my sister-in-law closely. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Right.” Desi grinned. “I have a four-year-old and a baby. I don’t exactly look like I did in college.” She stared ruefully at the small pudge that rose above the waistline of her dark denim jeans.

  “Oh, stop,” the woman said, waving her hand at Desi. “You look great. And I loved those baby pictures you posted online. Lina is so gorgeous. I can’t believe Anthony is four already though. We’ve got to get together sometime soon so I can meet both of them. It seems like the years are just flying by.”

  She seemed to finally notice me. “And is this Jill?” She stretched her hand out and I shook it. “I’m Becca Liu, Desi’s friend from college.”

  “Yes, hi. I’m Jill. We spoke on the phone, but it’s so nice to meet you in person.” I smiled at her. She seemed very down-to-earth for coming from a family that, based on their vacation home, wasn’t hurting for money.

  “Nice to meet you too. I was sad to hear that Desi’s mom wasn’t able to be here for our rehearsal dinner at the Boathouse, but it’s nice to meet some more of the family. I’m happy Beth is taking some time off to visit her sister in Portland.”

  I nodded. “She deserves a break. She’s had some health problems and I’m glad she’s finally taking a break. This has been a very busy summer.” I tried to sound confident, but inside, my stomach was twisting into knots. This was a big wedding and I needed to make sure everything was perfect for the rehearsal dinner and main event. Beth had put me in charge of managing things while she was gone but, luckily, she’d be back in time for the wedding next week.

  Becca turned to Desi. “Are you going to be able to spend the night? My dad leaves on a business trip this Thursday and is gone for over a week, so I scheduled the rehearsal dinner for before he leaves. Plus, I thought it would be fun for all of us to have
an extended vacation together this week and next. Kind of like old times when we lived together.” Her face lit up with the prospect.

  “No, sorry, I can’t. I’m only here for the day. Tomàs was called into work tonight, so I have to watch the kids.” Desi grimaced. “It would have been fun though.”

  “Oh well, no worries. We’ll have plenty of time to spend together before the wedding. Come in, come in.” She motioned us through an imposing doorway.

  Inside, the ceiling was open all the way to the second floor, creating a grand entry, complete with a wood and wrought iron chandelier.

  “It’s beautiful.” I gazed up at the chandelier and then took in the contemporary artwork on the walls. “How long has your family owned the property? Were they the original owners?” I remembered hearing from Beth that the Lake Elinor area had been a popular choice for summer homes in the early twentieth century.

  Becca’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, the property has been in my family since my grandparents bought it when they were first married. As you may have guessed, the house isn’t original. My grandparents built a small cabin on the lake, but as our family grew larger they decided to tear it down and build something a little bit more accommodating for everyone.” She beamed with pride as she surveyed the room. “I love it here and try to get over this way as much as possible with my work schedule.”

  “Well, it’s gorgeous.” I moved closer to a painting on the wall to inspect it. My dad had always wanted a lake house in Idaho, where we lived, but he and my mother were both teachers with limited incomes, and they had prioritized other things. Maybe now that he and my mom had separated, he’d use some of their savings to purchase a lake house.

  “Thank you.” She motioned for us to follow her to the rear of the house. “Everyone’s out on the deck. It’s such a beautiful afternoon.”

  We followed her out to a deck overlooking the lake, with the Chihuahua skittering along the hardwood floors behind us. The slow melodic tempos of a soft rock group wafted into the house when Becca opened the door to the deck. A group of five people sat on a comfortable patio set. Our arrival caught their attention.

  “Desi.” A woman with long wavy blonde hair popped up from the low-slung cushioned chair she had been sitting in. She wore figure-hugging jeans and a blouse that hadn’t come from a rack at Target. Desi walked closer to her and they hugged.

  “Hi, Lindsay. It’s been awhile.”

  “It has,” the woman said in a saccharine sweet tone. “How long has it been, anyway?”

  “I think it’s been since my wedding seven years ago.” Desi looked around at the others on the deck. “I can’t believe it’s been that long since I’ve seen any of the old gang.”

  “You know, I think you’re right.” Lindsay turned to a man who was leaning against the railing. “You remember Declan, right?” There was a sharpness to her words, and her mouth twisted like she’d sucked on a lemon when she said the man’s name.

  “Of course.” Desi gave Lindsay an odd look, as though she’d observed the same thing I had. “How is everything with you guys? Are you still living in Arwood?” She glanced between Declan and Lindsay. I noticed Becca cringe and I wondered what Desi had walked into.

  “We’re divorced,” Declan said.

  “Not quite yet. But hopefully soon,” Lindsay said under her breath. Her soon-to-be ex shot her an icy death glare in return.

  “Not soon enough.”

  “Declan plans to take all of our assets and jet away with one his bimbos.”

  He cringed. “Not quite, but definitely far away from you.”

  The venom dripping from their exchange silenced everyone else on the deck.

  To change the conversation, Desi put her hand on my arm and said to the rest of the group, “This is my sister-in-law, Jill. She works at the Boathouse with my mom. Since my mom wasn’t able to be here this weekend, Jill is going to be managing the wedding rehearsal and pre-wedding preparation.”

  All eyes were on me. I took a deep breath and smiled at them with as much confidence as I could muster. A tall man with dark curly hair rose from his chair and came over to shake my hand. His grip was firm and his smile pleasant. I had a feeling that he was one of the good guys.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said. “I’m Bill, Becca’s fiancé. I’m glad you were able to make it out here. Becca and I are so excited to be having our wedding at the Boathouse. We both fell in love with it when we toured it last winter.” He wrapped his arm around Becca and smiled jovially at us.

  “Nice to meet you too.” I smiled back at him. “It’s great to meet so many of Desi’s friends from college. I’ve heard a lot about all of you.”

  The last two people on the deck, a blond man of medium height and a woman with straight black hair, walked over to our group. He stretched out his hand.

  “I’m Jared, one of Bill’s partners at the dental office.”

  “And I’m Isabel, Becca’s cousin.” The dark-haired woman and I exchanged smiles.

  Becca broke apart from her fiancé and addressed Desi and I. “I’m so sorry, girls, where are my manners? Would either of you like something to drink?”

  The others had gone back to doing whatever they had been doing when we arrived. I noticed that Declan and Lindsay were standing as far apart on the deck as possible.

  Desi responded first. “Sure, it’s really hot today. I’d love a drink. What do you have?”

  Becca laughed. “Oh, we have a little of everything. This whole vacation is our pre-wedding party. My last days as a single woman. C’mon. All the drinks are in the kitchen.” She motioned for us to follow her. As she walked, she turned her head back to us and said, “We have margaritas and daiquiris, or wine and beer if you’d like that. I could even brew you a cup of Keurig coffee.”

  I wasn’t sure about drinking alcohol on the job, so I asked Becca for a cup of coffee.

  Desi looked at me and shrugged. “Well, I’m off the clock. I’ll take you up on that margarita.”

  “I’m with you. I need something cold today.” Becca smiled. “So, two frozen margaritas and a coffee?”

  We nodded. We were alone in the kitchen, and Desi and I leaned against the counter while Becca prepared our beverages.

  “What’s going on with Declan and Lindsay? How long ago did they file for divorce?” Desi asked hesitantly.

  Becca sighed. “About two months ago.” She plucked a coffee mug from a cupboard and banged it on the counter next to the coffeemaker.

  “Oh, no. I didn’t realize that.” Desi was quiet for a moment. “Were they separated for long before that? I know they’ve always bickered, but now there’s so much animosity between them.”

  “A couple of months,” Becca answered, inserting a pod into the machine and punching the brew button. “It should be finalized soon, thank goodness. They’ve been a nightmare to be around. When Bill and I asked them to be part of the wedding party, they were still together. We had no idea how stressful it would be to have them both around at the same time.” She frowned. “They’re some of our best friends and Declan is Bill’s business partner, but still… this hasn’t exactly been the fun week I’d anticipated.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m a little worried they’re going to ruin our wedding.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “That sounds so awful and I feel bad for them, but I want everything to be perfect on our special day.”

  Desi put her arm around Becca. “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  Becca smiled tentatively. “I hope so.”

  The Keurig beeped and she removed my mug, setting it on the counter. She turned to me and said, “Oh! But don’t forget to keep Declan and Lindsay separated at the rehearsal dinner. Don’t let them sit anywhere near each other.” She shuddered. “That would be a disaster.”

  I whipped out the small notepad I’d brought with me. Becca had sent us a seating chart a few months ago, and I wasn’t sure who was sitting where. I made a note of her
special request, then closed my notebook.

  “Now,” Becca said, gesturing to the refrigerator, “would you like some cream for your coffee?”

  “No, black is fine. Thanks.”

  She handed me the cup of steaming black coffee.

  “Thanks.” I took the cup from her, blowing on the steamy surface.

  She smiled at me, then turned to Desi. Her expression had turned mischievous.“Now for the good stuff. Do you want a strong margarita or an extra-strong margarita?”

  “So many choices,” Desi laughed. “I think I’ll go with the extra-strong margarita. I’m not driving anywhere today.”

  “A girl after my own heart.” Becca grinned and added several shots of tequila and cups of margarita mix into the glass blender, then followed it with a scoopful of ice cubes. She crushed the ice until it was a frothy concoction and poured it into two large margarita glasses rimmed with salt. She handed one of them to Desi and kept the other for herself.

  “Yum.” Desi delicately licked the coarse salt off the edge. “You’ve always known how to make the best drinks.”

  I sipped my coffee and leaned against the counter, slightly envious of their icy beverages. Becca picked up her glass and said, “Stay here. I’m going to go out to the deck to ask everybody else if they’d like to have their drinks refreshed.”

  When we were alone in the kitchen, Desi and I exchanged glances.

  “This is not going to be fun,” she said.

  “I know. I’m so glad that Beth is going to handle the actual wedding, but I feel a little bad about it. Having two members of the wedding party at each other’s throats won’t make it easy for her.”

  “I know, and it’s so weird because they were the perfect couple in college and we all thought that they were the ones who were going to make it. Now look at them… you’d never know they had been best friends at one time.”