Dead Man Docking - Mary Daheim [0]
Dead Man Docking
A BED-AND-BREAKFAST MYSTERY
To Lyssa—wife, mom, and editor.
You do it all,
and oh, so well.
CONTENTS
ONE
JUDITH MCMONIGLE FLYNN winced, flinched, and grimaced as she held…
TWO
JUDITH STARED IN the mirror at her new hair color…
THREE
JUDITH SPENT THE rest of Wednesday in a frenzy of…
FOUR
ART DECO RULED the ship’s design, from furniture to paneling…
FIVE
DAMNED FUNNY, ST. George!” Horace Pankhurst shouted, slapping his thick…
SIX
I CAN’T BELIEVE,” Judith said to Renie as they sought…
SEVEN
THE COUSINS WERE still making conjectures about the weapon when…
EIGHT
“WHY,” JUDITH ASKED after Chevy Barker-James had left, “would Ambrose…
NINE
“IT FIGURES,” RENIE said as notes from the Compass Rose…
TEN
THE COUSINS COULD already hear sirens approaching.
ELEVEN
“YOU DIDN’T ASK what kind of weapon?” Judith demanded.
TWELVE
AMBROSE EVERHART’S DEPARTURE seemed to signal a change in the…
THIRTEEN
THE IMPOSSIBLE WAS not only possible, but for once, it…
FOURTEEN
BY THE TIME Judith got back to the table at…
FIFTEEN
A MOMENT LATER, the waitress came by to tell Flakey…
SIXTEEN
ERMA GIDDON HOWLED like a wounded hound, clutching at her…
SEVENTEEN
DESPITE THE FACT that their cabdriver didn’t seem conversant in…
EIGHTEEN
“HOLD IT!” RENIE cried. “Are you crazy? We didn’t steal…
NINETEEN
“YOU DIDN’T HEAR the latest?” Connie asked in an excited…
TWENTY
“JIM’S AN IDIOT,” Renie declared as the cousins rode home…
TWENTY-ONE
“I TRIED TO tell them you didn’t steal the jewels,”…
TWENTY-TWO
THE CATHEDRAL OF St. Mary of the Assumption was startlingly…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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OTHER BOOKS BY MARY DAHEIM
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Cast of Cruising Characters
Magglio Cruz—Self-made man, successful shipowner, and a gracious host who should stay away from pianos.
Consuela Cruz—Magglio’s wife, an heiress who has a right to be embarrassed by a leftover scandal.
Erma Giddon—A rich San Francisco matron whose plus-size figure puts the “big” in bigotry.
Anemone Giddon—Erma’s sheltered daughter, who has everything except what she really wants.
Jim Brooks—An aspiring doctor who needs more practice and is a less-than-perfect suitor for Anemone.
Ambrose Everhart—Erma’s private secretary, whose public causes embrace more than endangered redwoods.
Horace Pankhurst—The Giddon family’s financial adviser deals in cork futures and beautiful blondes, past and present.
Beulah—Erma’s “colored” maid, who’s a lot more colorful than she pretends.
CeeCee Orr—A blond bombshell who figures her figure can add up to big bucks.
Paul Tanaka—Cruz’s second in command and first in charge of a widow’s needs.
Émile Grenier—The ship’s purser, whose superior French air is as noticeable as his mysterious limp.
May Belle (Dixie) Beales—A Southern belle who rings once too often.
Randolph J. Swafford—Ship captain and bluff English sea dog who may or may not be bluffing.
Blackie—A Mystery Man who may or may not be “Blackie.”
Rick St. George—Debonair man-about-murder who takes sleuthing as seriously as drinking.
Rhoda St. George—Rick’s slightly more sober better half, with beauty, brains, and a big, big bank account.
ONE
JUDITH MCMONIGLE FLYNN winced, flinched, and grimaced as she held the phone as far as possible from her ear. Cousin Renie was screaming obscenities at the other end and throwing in an occasional death threat. Unable to listen any longer, Judith severed the connection.
A minute later, she was swallowing two aspirin when the phone rang again. Reluctantly, Judith answered.
“What happened?” Renie asked in a more normal voice. “We got cut off.”
“I hung up,” Judith replied. “Your ranting gave me a headache.”
“You have a headache?” Renie shot back, her words climbing several decibels. “How about me? I’ve never been fired before in my life.”
“Cruz Cruises didn’t exactly fire you,” Judith pointed out. “Moving their corporate offices to San Francisco means you can’t have your usual hands-on control of their design work. You’ve still got plenty of clients.