Seventh Chapter Read online

  Seventh Chapter

  by

  Kathi Daley

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 by Katherine Daley

  Version 1.0

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  I want to thank the very talented Jessica Fischer for the cover art.

  I so appreciate Bruce Curran, who is always ready and willing to answer my cyber questions; Jayme Maness for helping out with the book clubs; and Peggy Hyndman for helping sleuth out those pesky typos.

  And, of course, thanks to the readers and bloggers in my life, who make doing what I do possible.

  Thank you to Randy Ladenheim-Gil for the editing.

  And finally, I want to thank my husband Ken for allowing me time to write by taking care of everything else.

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

  Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:

  Halloween Hijinks

  The Trouble With Turkeys

  Christmas Crazy

  Cupid’s Curse

  Big Bunny Bump-off

  Beach Blanket Barbie

  Maui Madness

  Derby Divas

  Haunted Hamlet

  Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies

  Christmas Cozy

  Alaskan Alliance

  Matrimony Meltdown

  Soul Surrender

  Heavenly Honeymoon

  Hopscotch Homicide

  Ghostly Graveyard

  Santa Sleuth

  Shamrock Shenanigans

  Kitten Kaboodle

  Costume Catastrophe

  Candy Cane Caper

  Holiday Hangover

  Easter Escapade

  Camp Carter

  Trick or Treason

  Reindeer Roundup

  Hippity Hoppity Homicide

  Firework Fiasco

  Henderson House – August 2018

  Zimmerman Academy The New Normal

  Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook

  Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:

  Pumpkins in Paradise

  Snowmen in Paradise

  Bikinis in Paradise

  Christmas in Paradise

  Puppies in Paradise

  Halloween in Paradise

  Treasure in Paradise

  Fireworks in Paradise

  Beaches in Paradise

  Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:

  Romeow and Juliet

  The Mad Catter

  Grimm’s Furry Tail

  Much Ado About Felines

  Legend of Tabby Hollow

  Cat of Christmas Past

  A Tale of Two Tabbies

  The Great Catsby

  Count Catula

  The Cat of Christmas Present

  A Winter’s Tail

  The Taming of the Tabby

  Frankencat

  The Cat of Christmas Future

  Farewell to Felines

  A Whisker in Time – September 2018

  The Catsgiving Feast – November 2018

  Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery:

  First Case

  Second Look

  Third Strike

  Fourth Victim

  Fifth Night

  Sixth Cabin

  Seventh Chapter

  Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mystery:

  Finding Justice

  Finding Answers

  Finding Courage - September 2018

  Finding Christmas – November 2018

  A Tess and Tilly Mystery:

  The Christmas Letter

  The Valentine Mystery

  The Mother’s Day Mishap

  The Halloween House

  The Thanksgiving Trip – November 2018

  Haunting by the Sea:

  Homecoming by the Sea

  Secrets by the Sea

  Missing by the Sea – October 2018

  Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:

  Murder at Dolphin Bay

  Murder at Sunrise Beach

  Murder at the Witching Hour

  Murder at Christmas

  Murder at Turtle Cove

  Murder at Water’s Edge

  Murder at Midnight

  Seacliff High Mystery:

  The Secret

  The Curse

  The Relic

  The Conspiracy

  The Grudge

  The Shadow

  The Haunting

  Road to Christmas Romance:

  Road to Christmas Past

  Table of Contents

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Table of Contents

  The Writers’ Retreat Residents

  Townsfolk

  The Cast

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Next from Kathi Daley Books

  Books by Kathi Daley

  The Writers’ Retreat Residents

  Jillian (Jill) Hanford

  Jillian is a newspaper reporter who moved to Gull Island after her much-older brother, Garrett Hanford, had a stroke and was no longer able to run the resort he’d inherited.

  Jackson (Jack) Jones

  Jack is a nationally acclaimed author of hard-core mysteries and thrillers. Despite his success as a novelist, he’d always dreamed of writing for a newspaper, so he gave up his penthouse apartment and bought the failing Gull Island News.

  George Baxter

  George is a writer of traditional whodunit mysteries. He’d been a friend of Garrett Hanford’s since they were boys and spent many winters at the resort penning his novels.

  Clara Kline

  Clara is a self-proclaimed psychic who writes fantasy and paranormal mysteries. Clara decided to move to the retreat after she had a vision that she would find her soul mate living within its walls.

  Alex Cole

  Alex is a fun and flirty millennial who made his first million writing science fiction when he was just twenty-two.

  Brit Baxter

  Brit is George Baxter’s niece. Her real strength is in social networking and understanding the dynamics behind the information individuals choose to share on the internet.

  Victoria Vance

  Victoria is a romance author who lives the life she writes about in her steamy novels.

  Garrett Hanford

  Garrett isn’t a writer, but he owns the resort and is becoming one of the gang. He had a stroke that ended his ability to run the resort as a family vacation spot. He has lived on Gull Island his entire life and has a lot to offer the Mystery Mastermind Group.

  Townsfolk

  Deputy Rick Savage

  Rick is not only the island’s main source of law enforcement, he’s a volunteer force unto himself.

  Mayor Betty Sue Bell

  Betty Sue is a homegrown Southern lady who owns a beauty parlor called Betty Boop’s Beauty Salon.

  Gertie Newsome

  Gertie is the owner of Gertie’s on the Wharf. Southern born and bred, she believes in the magic of the South and the passion of its people. She shares her home with a ghost named Mortie, who has been a regular part of her life for over thirty years.

  Meg Collins

  Meg is a volunteer at the island museum and the organizer of the turtle rescue squad.

 
; Brooke Johnson

  Brooke is a teacher and mother who works hard in her spare time as volunteer coordinator for the community.

  The Cast

  Victim:

  Bosley Newman

  Candidates for Island Council

  Brenda Tamari—teacher

  William Quarterly—owns Gull Island Hardware

  Jeffrey Riverton—owns both the Riverton Hotel and the Riverton Coastal Resort

  Glen Pierson—endorsed by the Castle Foundation

  Founding Sons:

  Sam Castle

  Ron Remand

  Zane Carson

  Billy Waller

  Fishermen living in the area who are on the witness list:

  Trout Kellerman

  Buck Johnston

  Tizzy Tizdale

  Others:

  Vincent O’Brian—used to be in business with Billy; dined with him prior to his death

  Logan Franklin—works at the marina; rented Bosley a boat

  Oswald Bollinger—scientist involved in the area a century ago

  Bianca Castle—Sam’s ex

  Jessica Carson—Zane’s sister

  Viv Castle—Sam’s sister

  Chapter 1

  Monday, October 22

  “As most of you are aware, we have four candidates competing for two open seats on the island council,” Mayor Betty Sue Bell announced to a packed auditorium. “The purpose of the meeting tonight is to give everyone who’s interested a chance to meet the candidates and to ask any questions you may have before heading to the polls next month. Those of you who had questions were asked to submit them to one of the monitors prior to the start of the meeting. The questions have been grouped and categorized, and we’ll ask as many as we have time for. Each question selected will be asked to all four candidates. Before I begin, are there any questions regarding the procedure I’ve just outlined?”

  I angled myself toward the front of the room so I could capture the photographs I’d come to take for the Gull Island News. My boyfriend and newspaper owner Jack Jones had intended to attend the meeting but had gotten held up interviewing witnesses to a house fire. The third house fire in the past three weeks. I was sure there was a story there and so was he.

  “I’m going to begin by introducing each of the candidates,” Betty Sue continued after she’d answered a few questions from those who hadn’t been completely clear on what to expect from the meeting. “Our first candidate, Brenda Tamari, is sitting to my far left.” Everyone in the room, including me, glanced toward the petite forty-five-year-old with short blond hair and a sunny smile. “Brenda teaches mathematics at the high school and has been a resident of Gull Island for almost twelve years. When she isn’t busy at the high school either teaching or coaching, she volunteers at the local youth center, where she oversees both the girls soccer team and the girls basketball team. Brenda has been endorsed by the local teachers association as well as the community youth athletic league.”

  I took a photo of Brenda while Betty Sue caught her breath. She really was in her element. When I’d first moved to the island and was told that the vivacious woman who seemed to have mastered the ability to talk a mile a minute was also the mayor, I’d been skeptical, but after having a chance to get to know her, I can see she’s perfect for the job.

  After a few seconds, Betty Sue continued. “Our second candidate, William Quarterly, is sitting directly to my left.” I glanced at the tall, dark-haired man who looked to be in his late thirties. “William owns Gull Island Hardware and is an active member of both the merchants association and the Gull Island Chamber of Commerce. He’s been endorsed by both. William has lived on Gull Island for eight years. During that time…”

  I glanced away as Betty Sue continued to list William’s accomplishments. When she wasn’t actively performing her duties as mayor, she owned and operated Betty Boop’s, a hair salon where the stylists dressed like women from the fifties and sixties. Tonight, however, Betty Sue wore a black dress suit and sensible pumps. Her makeup was toned down, her hair styled to reflect sophistication rather than sass.

  “Hey, Jill,” Meg Collins, the director and head volunteer of both the local museum and the turtle rescue squad, whispered after she sidled up to me. “Is George here?”

  “I haven’t seen him,” I whispered back. Meg and George Baxter, one of the writers who lived at the retreat I helped to run, were dating. “He’s presenting a project to the Mastermind group later this evening, so he might be getting ready for that. I mentioned to him that I was attending this meeting, and he said he was familiar with all the candidates and already knew who he planned to vote for, so he thought he might skip it.”

  “I’m not surprised. George is very decisive, and I knew he’d done his homework on all the candidates.” Meg glanced at the woman who was waiting patiently to her left. “Jill Hanford, this is Lisa Dalton. Jill runs the writers’ retreat where George lives. Lisa is a new member of the turtle rescue squad.”

  “Happy to meet you, Lisa.” I smiled in greeting just as Mayor Bell moved on to the third candidate.

  “Nice to meet you too,” Lisa answered. “Meg has told me a lot about you and the group at the resort.”

  I smiled at her but didn’t say more as Betty Sue continued. “The man sitting to my far right is our third candidate. For those of you who might not know him, his name is Jeffrey Riverton. Mr. Riverton owns both the Riverton Hotel and the Riverton Coastal Resort. He’s lived on Gull Island for five years and is being endorsed by both the lodging association and the visitors bureau.”

  I knew Riverton, a tall, thin man with graying hair and sharp features, the least of the four candidates. His properties were nice and attracted an affluent clientele, but I’d heard rumors that the reason he wanted to be voted on to the council was so he could push through a project that many felt was much too large for our little island. The project had been presented to the current council twice and had been met with resistance by the majority of the council members.

  “And finally,” Betty Sue continued, glancing to the handsome, dark-haired man sitting closest to her, “the gentleman directly to my right is Glen Pierson. Glen is a real estate executive and a member of the local historical society. He’s lived on Gull Island for the past six years and plans to work to ensure the integrity of the community as it was originally envisioned. Glen has been endorsed by both the historical society and the Castle Foundation.”

  There was a level of murmuring throughout the crowd. I had the feeling Glen Pierson and Jeffrey Riverton were going to go head to head on more than one occasion before this election was over. Riverton seemed to be all about development, while Pierson, who was being backed by the Castle Foundation, was all about preserving the integrity of what currently existed. The Foundation was run by Sam Castle’s ex-wife, Bianca.

  “It looks as if we’re going to have an interesting race,” Meg commented.

  “It does seem as if there’s a lot of energy being generated by all four candidates.”

  “Being a member of the council is sort of a big thing around these parts, so there’s usually a good pool of candidates,” Meg added.

  The town council had eight members. Four of the seats were honorary, held by a descendant of each of the four of the island’s founding fathers. Traditionally, the seat had been handed down from eldest son to eldest son, so the seats, as well as the men who held them, were referred to as the founding sons. Currently, those seats were occupied by Sam Castle, Billy Waller, Zane Carson, and Ron Remand. The other four seats were elected positions. Each elected council member served a four-year term. The terms were staggered, so two seats came up for election every two years.

  Betty Sue glanced around the room. “Before we begin with the questions prepared for our candidates, let’s give them all a round of appreciation for the work they already do in our community.”

  I took several more photos while everyone applauded.

  “I imagine George must be planning to ask the
Mastermind group for help regarding Bosley Newman’s disappearance,” Meg said while we waited for the noise to die down.

  “I believe that’s his plan. I’m sure the group will want to help out, given that Bosley is a fellow writer, although he’s only been missing since Saturday. Brit seems to think he’s absentminded and often forgets to check in on a somewhat regular basis.”

  “Brit said the same thing to me,” Meg admitted, referring to George’s niece, another member of the Mastermind group. “But George is really worried, and I trust his instincts. I planned to attend the meeting this evening, if you don’t think the others will mind. I’ve worked with Bosley during the past couple of weeks, and I believe I have some insight into where he was going with his research.”

  I waved at a woman I knew who’d just entered the room through the side door. “I don’t think anyone will mind if you join us. We aren’t meeting until eight and are skipping dinner tonight because I had this meeting to attend. I have to leave here at seven thirty, though, whether the meeting is over or not. Hopefully, Jack will be back from the fire he went to cover by then as well.”

  “I’ll plan to come, then,” Meg said as Betty Sue prepared to ask the candidates the first of what I was sure were many questions. “I think I’m going to scoot out now to grab a bite to eat. I’ll see you at eight.”

  I glanced at Lisa. “It was nice to meet you.”

  “You too. I just moved to the island, but I want get involved, so I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  I returned my attention to the front of the room, where the candidates took turns answering questions. All four seemed intelligent and committed to their causes. I assumed any of them would be a good choice for the two open seats. While it was my job to present the facts and then allow those who read the newspaper article to make up their own minds, personally, I’d like to see Brenda end up with one of the seats. At present, the council consisted of eight males, and I thought a female perspective would help to add balance. I’d only lived on the island for a little over a year, and the council seats only came open on even-numbered years, so this was the first election I’d been present to observe, but from what I’d heard from others who’d been around for a while, the island council was stacked by older men who wielded their power with iron fists.