Murder On Vacation: A Molly Tinker Mystery

By Misty Reddington

A fast-paced mystery, with an unorthodox sleuth Molly Tinker who tracks down a serial killer in a Florida paradise, filled with evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jul 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483414461

Book preview

MURDER

on

VACATION

A MOLLY TINKER MYSTERY

Misty Reddington

Copyright © 2014 Misty Reddington.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1447-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1446-1 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 07/14/2014

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

To Toby

"It looks like paradise,

untouched by evil."

CHAPTER ONE

Look, I said. It’s incredible.

Eric, my blonde hunk of a husband, leaned over and squinted out the window of the 757.

It looks like paradise, untouched by evil, he said. The Gulf of Mexico looks like a giant swimming pool.

That blue-green is one of my favorite colors.

It contrasts nicely with your red hair.

You think my gray sweatshirt contrasts nicely with my hair.

Molly, what can I say? I love you.

Eric kissed the top of my head.

I squeezed his hand. I’m glad.

Jake Conet was waiting at the curb in his Range Rover. He beeped his horn to get our attention.

Eric and I each carried a large pack, slung over our shoulders, and we hopped into the backseat, and Jake pulled out into the airport traffic.

Great to see you, Jake said. It’s been too long.

Jake was a medium-sized man in his early thirties with short brown hair. He wore a plaid cotton shirt and tan pressed pants.

I plan to have the perfect vacation, relaxing on the beach and eating some excellent seafood, I said.

You’ll have plenty of sunshine.

I hope we aren’t imposing, Eric said. We could stay at the Sheraton.

Ellen and I are delighted to have you stay with us.

Where’s Ellen? I said.

She’s doing some last minute grocery shopping.

I’ll help her cook dinner, I said.

Eric smiled.

What? Jake said.

Molly doesn’t cook.

I can cook, I said, but I heard the doubt in my voice.

Molly, why don’t you sit on the patio, drink margaritas, and relax, Jake said. And after dinner we’ll decide what you’re going to do while you’re here.

As Jake drove the Range Rover to his beachside community, I gazed out at the South Florida pine and cypress trees. Even though it was February, the sky was cloudless and deep blue, and the grass along the highway was a striking shade of green.

I sighed.

The Conet’s house was typical Florida. It was light pink stucco with a lot of windows and a glass front door, imprinted with a white floral design. In back of the house was a screened lap pool, and beyond it, a wide waterway that led to the Gulf of Mexico.

Eric and I took our stuff to the first bedroom down the hallway. It had French doors that opened onto the pool.

I’m ready for that margarita, I said. It’s nice that Ellen and Jake invited us. It’s good to get away from those gray cold winter days.

Eric grabbed me around my waist and pulled me close, and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

What will it be like sleeping without a big white poodle, stretching all over the bed? he said.

Wonderful, I said. But I already miss him.

Me, too. He’s our best friend.

Jake placed a pitcher of margaritas on a small table next to the lounge chairs, all of them facing west towards the setting sun.

He looked at his watch.

What’s keeping Ellen? She left for Publix a couple of hours ago.

What was she planning to fix for dinner?

Some sort of fresh crab casserole.

Maybe she had to hunt around for the crab.

If she’s not back in twenty minutes, I’ll go look for her.

Jake sat next to Eric, and while I leaned back in my chair and sipped my drink, they talked about his work. Jack was an orthopedic surgeon, specializing in knee replacements.

I used to jog ten miles a week, but my knees started giving out, Eric said.

If they get worse, I can operate.

Replace them? Eric said, with some apprehension in his voice.

There are other procedures I can perform before doing something so radical.

Eric looked doubtful, while Jake looked at his watch.

I’m going to go find Ellen. There’s some cheese in the refrigerator if you’re hungry.

Eric looked at me. Molly, you stay here just in case she calls.

You’re on vacation, Jake said. Stay here. I’m sure she just got hung up someplace.

I’d prefer to ride along, Eric said.

Okay then, Jake said.

The men lifted themselves out of their lounge chairs, and I noticed Jake’s worried expression.

While you two go find Ellen, I think I’ll check on Tinker. I want to make sure he’s settled in with my parents.

CHAPTER TWO

While I waited for Eric and Jake and Ellen to return, I sat on the patio with my eyes closed listening to the soft Florida night. Fish were jumping and flopping in the water, and insects were making noises in the darkness.

After an hour I got bored and went inside the house. On the coffee table in the living room, I picked up a book and read its title.

What?

I skimmed through page after page of explicit sex.

Why’s Ellen reading this stuff?

Just as I reached for the remote control to watch television, I heard Jake and Eric enter the kitchen through the side door, and they came into the living room.

Where is she?

Jake sat down on the couch and put his face in his hands.

Don’t know, Eric said. I’m going now and talk with the police and have them put out a missing persons alert.

It’s been three hours since she left the house, Jake said.

Want something to eat? I said, touching Jake’s arm. Come on and watch me fix something.

Jake and I headed to the kitchen while Eric left in the Range Rover.

Was Ellen into anything? I said.

She’s an ordinary run-of-the-mill housewife.

She has to be somewhere, doing something.

What are you saying? Jake said. "You read too many mysteries. Ellen and