McGuffins & Birdies: Robinson Family Detective Agency, #2

By Brittany E. Brinegar

Vacation with the characters you love from the Hollywood Whodunit series in a top-secret summer spinoff.

 

Don't resort to crime if you can't escape in time.​

​A free stay at a luxury resort is a dream come true until Becky Robinson wakes up and realizes she's undercover as the help. Catering to every beck and call of corporate bigwigs while also investigating who in the group is selling secrets to the enemy.

​But what does Becky know about golfing, noncompete clauses, horseback riding, stock options, glamping, and… kidnapping?

​Pro tip - Losing your client in the woods doesn't impress the boss. But until the body bag zips, it's not too late for a mulligan.

​With suspects lurking around every corner, Becky must uncover the secrets and lies to expose the saboteur. Can she spoil the perfect getaway before someone turns up dead?

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McGuffins & Birdies is the second installment in the Robinson Family Detective cozy mystery series.
If you love best friend shenanigans, quirky suspects, and adorable animals this series is for you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brittany Brinegar
• Release date: Jun 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201692858

Book preview

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Copyright © 2022 Brittany E. Brinegar

Cover Design © 2022 Britt Lizz

All rights reserved

BRITT LIZZ PUBLISHING COMPANY

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Created with Atticus

Contents

About the Book

1.Moving Day

2.Perfect Storm

3.Whatever the Case May Be

4.Home on the Range

5.Let That Pony Run

6.Backlash

7.Comeback Kid

8.Mulligan

9.Kumbaya

10.You’re Lion

11.Hitch in the Plan

12.Vanishing Leads

13.Most Likely to Suspect

14.Callback

15.You’ll Thank Me Later

16.Ashes to Ashes

17.The Man from Tallahassee

18.Mama Harper

19.Pizza Party

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About the Author

Books by Britt

About the Book

Don’t resort to crime if you can’t escape in time.

A free stay at a luxury resort is a dream come true until Becky Robinson wakes up and realizes she’s undercover as the help. Catering to every beck and call of corporate bigwigs while also investigating who in the group is selling secrets to the enemy.

But what does Becky know about golfing, noncompete clauses, horseback riding, stock options, glamping, and… kidnapping?

Pro tip - Losing your client in the woods doesn’t impress the boss. But until the body bag zips, it’s not too late for a mulligan.

With suspects lurking around every corner, Becky must uncover the secrets and lies to expose the saboteur. Can she spoil the perfect getaway before someone turns up dead?

Get ready to laugh your way through crime with this hilarious cozy mystery series. The heroine is clumsy, the suspects are quirky, and the mysteries are puzzling.

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Get all the books in the

Robinson Family Detective Agency series!

1. Red Herrings & Pink Flamingos

2. McGuffins & Birdies

3. A Hoax & a Hex

4. A Patsy & a Pastry

5. A Trick & a Pony

6. A Masterpiece & a Murder

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1

Moving Day

When my fake uncle named me as an heir in his will, I never imagined he would change my destiny. Okay, changing my destiny might be a tad dramatic but since I broke his stupid pink flamingo, my life improved. And not because the ceramic bird turned out to be a priceless artifact from the 1800s. Good thing it wasn’t, being I smashed it into a million pieces outside my apartment.

Solving Uncle Al’s murder put me in contact with his other heirs – a brigade of private investigators all named Robinson. Together we formed a detective agency.

As a struggling actress/amateur sleuth the idea of a steady paycheck intrigued me. What might it be like to pay my bills on time and purchase name-brand Pop Tarts again?

My best friend, Lois Vo, poked me in the shoulder. Are you sure this is the right address?

I peeled my eyes from the spinning map on my phone to the parking lot. I think so but my signal is going berserk.

Look again because this is a pizza place.

Crocetti’s Pizzeria. My stomach gurgled in response to the name. Since we’re here we might as well grab a slice and ask for directions.

Lois pointed to the slow clock on the dashboard. We’re fifteen minutes behind schedule.

If you’re going to be late, you might as well stop for a pie. I unbuckled my seatbelt and Zelda sputtered. Oops, I forgot to say mother may I.

Lois stroked the steering wheel. Ever since your brother’s prank, she hasn’t been the same.

Our temperamental sports car was quirkier than a neighbor on a sitcom but we loved her anyway. The bills from the mechanic, not so much.

I nudged my chin at a moving truck. Lead detective Ricardo Robinson carried a desk lamp down the ramp and slipped inside. This might be the place after all.

A smile spread across Lois’ face. I’m conjuring an image of you tossing pizza dough and like a klutz, landing it on your head or sticking to the ceiling.

I ignored her mocking. I’m sure they repurposed the building as an office space.

And the Crocetti’s sign is up because y’all are undercover?

Exactly. Now you’re thinking like a PI.

How are clients supposed to find you?

We will prepare a secret signal. I flicked my nose like Paul Newman in the Sting. Don’t be a negative Nellie. It might not be perfect from day one, especially with everyone’s loud personalities.

The investigators at the Robinson Family Detective Agency didn’t exactly get along when we first met. Mostly because we were too busy accusing each other of murder. But now we were on the same side. Things would be different.

Lois shrugged. Who’s negative? I can’t think of a better scenario than being paid to solve the mysteries we normally investigate for free.

You do realize we’ll be working for the firm, right? So, we can’t take any random case we want.

Lois narrowed her gaze and snorted. Yeah, sure.

What are you hinting at?

I doubt you’ll let anything as trivial as a boss stop you. She crossed her arms. What’s the procedure for us to become licensed investigators?

I’m not sure. Ricardo is handling the paperwork. I knocked on the pizzeria door, unsure if we should barge in. As I waited for a response, I traced the chipped paint on the glass door. The friendly Crocetti cartoon shoved a pizza into the oven. Wonder why this place closed with such a fabulous logo.

Because that is the deciding factor for a restaurant.

Ricardo swung the door with a ring of the bell. Come on in. I’m on a call so Stephen can help you settle in.

I twisted to the nerdy detective and masked my annoyance. Morning.

When Uncle Al bequeathed us flamingos to match our personalities, Stephen received one carrying a calculator. Did no one else heed the eight o’clock memo?

Perhaps the pizzeria sign threw them off.

Lois’ nostrils flared. Is it just me or can you still smell the dough?

Nauseating, isn’t it? Stephen hiked his mover’s back brace. Will one of you give me a hand with the next desk? I carried that one by myself.

On a dolly. I shimmied by the counter to follow him to the alley. I’m having a hard time picturing this as an office. Especially with the ginormous oak fire oven.

I’m already regretting signing on. Stephen pointed at the ceiling. The boss is pulling rank and making me do the heavy lifting.

He’s on a case?

He’s still working the art theft. Something about establishing a connection between the old and new robberies. Stephen tossed a shoulder. I tuned him out after a minute.

One of the reasons Ricardo left the prestige of his old firm was his white whale – the Sunlight Swindler. After a five-year absence, missing paintings reappeared on the black market. And recently the thief struck again. I couldn’t wait to assist on the case, even if it meant taking a backseat role.

What will the place look like after the renovation? Lois asked.

You’re looking at it. We aren’t throwing extra money into a temporary place. The lease is a steal which is all anyone cares about.

Temporary? Did Stephen predict a move in our future or did he expect the partnership to crash and burn? I brushed off the question. So, what’s the layout?

Ricardo called dibs on the private office in the attic. The party room will serve as our conference room and our desks are in the middle of the restaurant. Checkout counter will be converted to reception. He rolled his eyes behind thick glasses. High tech, right?

I’ve been to auditions in far worse places. My stomach dropped to my toes at the mention of my acting career. Or lack thereof. For the last week, I patiently awaited news on a rollerblade commercial. Landing a callback would be a big deal. Especially after how I embarrassed myself with the falling twice. But things in Hollywood changed quickly. Hopefully for the better.

As they say in real estate – location, location, location. Lois spread her arms. And we are within walking distance of the beach.

Santa Monica comes with the potential for high foot traffic too. Stephen climbed into the moving truck. If we ever hang a new sign.

I’m anxious for the adventure. I navigated the steep ramp, careful not to trip. And the paycheck for solving mysteries will be nice.

Stephen bent at the waist and cackled. Don’t expect to lead your own investigation any time soon, Rookie. The firm has four licensed PIs and you.

I threw an arm around Lois’ shoulders. But I come with a sidekick.

Who do you think the client is going to trust?

Probably not the guy who rides the bus, I said. How are you supposed to follow a perp on the city line?

I manage.

Lois rocked on her toes and averted her eyes. This will be a blast. You already argue like family.

Stephen flicked a hand. Help me with the desk, will you?

I squeezed around stacked rolling chairs and searched for a handhold. Bulky.

No kidding. He stretched his back. Let’s move this along.

My knees wobbled as I muscled my end and lifted an inch off the platform. Lois directed us from the ground. Keep going straight.

Thanks for the fantastic advice. I planned to zigzag down the ramp.

I flexed my fingers. Hold on a sec, my hands are cramping.

After thirty seconds? Stephen huffed. Push through.

Easy for you to say. The keyboard cutout is a natural handle. I’m carrying this by a couple of fingernails.

And I’m backing up down a slick incline, he said. You complain a lot.

My phone vibrated in my pocket