One Night In Sedona

By Carrie Latimer

Who would have thought that a single photograph would be so dangerous?

 

Photofest. The ultimate photography convention. Not only is Seddy finally able to attend, but this year, it is being held in the city for which she was named. And she cannot wait.

 

No sooner does she check into the conference when a murder interrupts her night on the town with a new friend. Shaken, Seddy just wants to put the incident behind her.

 

But someone has other ideas. After attending her first day of workshops, Seddy discovers her hotel room has been ransacked. Her new love interest seems very eager to help her while the local detective keeps asking her questions about her camera. To make matters worse, the chief of police keeps giving her strange looks. 

 

And then someone tries to kill her.

 

As she works out whom she can trust, Seddy realizes she may hold the one piece of evidence that could help solve the mystery. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Work In Progress Wonders
• Release date: Nov 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393202370

Book preview

Other Works by Carrie Latimer

(Writing as Ashleigh Stevens)

Young Adults

Camp Piquaqua

Hartfield Chronicles

Elephant on My Chest

Romances

Kayaks, Kisses & Monsters

Mooncrossed

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As soon as I entered the lobby of the Red Rock Resort Hotel, my eyes landed on the man I was going to marry. He just didn’t know it yet. Sitting on one of the couches near the concierge desk, he was biting his lower lip while staring at the phone in his hand. His jet-black hair framed a clean-shaven face and he looked so at home, I couldn’t help but wonder if he spent a lot of time in hotel lobbies.

The man glanced up, his dark eyes twinkling when he caught me smiling at him. Before I could avert my eyes, pretend to be looking around the room, he sent me the most heart-melting smile. I was instantly in love with this man.

I wanted to introduce myself, though I had no idea what I would say. I could ask what he was reading. No, that was too personal. I could ask what brought him to Sedona. That might work.

I took a step forward, tripped over my own luggage, and landed on a bellhop dolly, sailing across the room. The cart ran into a couch and I went flying, landing right at the guy’s feet. He was obviously trying to hide a smirk as he reached out a hand to me.

Are you okay?

Fine. I took his hand, letting him help me to my feet. Just a little mortified.

Oh, man! I missed it!

I turned to see a nearby teenager shaking his head at me. That would have gone viral, too!

I could feel my cheeks growing warm as I watched the kid walk away. I turned back to the man beside me. His hand was still in mine. It was almost as if it belonged there. I used my free hand to gesture behind me.

I, uh, better go check in. Thanks.

Yeah. Of course. Sure you’re okay? When I nodded, he released my hand. Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you around.

Thanks, um ...

He smiled. Logan.

Seddy. Thanks, Logan.

I made my way back to the desk, trying to avoid people’s eyes. I just wanted to escape to my room and wallow in my humiliation. Thankfully, the woman behind the counter pretended nothing had happened. After receiving my room key, I grabbed my bags and made my way to the elevator. I could see the cute guy watching me out of the corner of his eye.

I decided I could benefit from a relaxing shower. I had been looking forward to this trip for months, but nothing had gone right so far. The flight had been miserable. I spent the first three and a half hours listening to the woman beside me listing all the reasons why I would be just perfect for her grandson. After racing through the terminal and nearly missing my connecting flight, I was rewarded with spending the next two and a half hours being elbowed by a businessman on his laptop. The icing on the cake was the hour-long ride to the hotel in a rental car that smelled like bodily fluids.

I sniffed my clothes as I entered my room. Yup. I smelled as bad as my car. And Logan must have noticed that! I groaned. A shower and a change of clothes were definitely in order.

I was only staying a few nights, but I decided to unpack my bags into the dressers. After a quick shower with copious amounts of soap in lukewarm water, I felt more like myself. I put on a flirty sundress and let my damp shoulder-length hair air dry.

I placed my camera case on the extra bed and opened it. Inside, nestled in the custom foam, were my two best cameras. I ran a hand over each as I considered which to carry for the evening. While the digital single-lens reflex was probably the more practical choice, it reminded me too much of work. I didn’t care that this was a business trip. I reached for my SLR.

My two-day conference was being held at the nearby Sedona High School, which my map app informed me was only about a ten-minute walk from the hotel. Giving my rental car a wide berth, I decided to stretch my legs. The mid-July sun was low in the sky, almost touching the famous red rocks of the Arizona desert, but there were still several hours of sunlight left. I could see the beautiful mountains in the distance and snapped a few pictures of them along the way.

I spent the walk considering my options for supper. I doubted there was food at the convention. The restaurant at the hotel didn’t have the most appealing menu. I had seen a few places as I had driven into town, but that would mean returning to the disgusting car.

I didn’t have any answers by the time I reached the school, but I pushed the thought aside to deal with later. Following the signs to the auditorium, I made my way to the registration desk.

The woman behind the A-G label was a little too chipper for my taste.

Hi! Welcome to PhotoFest. Did you preregister?

Yes. Seddy Bishop.

Bishop. Bishop. She thrummed through the files in the bin before her. Oh, yes. Here you are! Sedona Bishop. That’s a beautiful name. Any relation to the city?

My mother had always told me it was where the stork had left me, but I wasn’t about to share that very personal information with this stranger. Thankfully, my shrug encouraged her to move on.

I see this is your first PhotoFest. Here is your name tag. She handed me a blue lanyard, waiting for me to place it over my head before pointing out the various papers within the folder.

"In here, you will find all sorts of information for the entire weekend. You should really make sure to check out the vendors in the gymnasium tomorrow. If you’d like, there’s a meet-and-greet in the cafeteria right now and boxed lunches will be available for purchase there tomorrow. Some of