An Aquarium of Deceit: A Cozy Mystery Tribe Anthology, #5

By Verena DeLuca, Kathryn Mykel, Elle Hartford and 3 more

Swimming with the fishes takes on a new meaning as our sleuths find themselves in deep water with their latest culprits. From fish tanks to aquariums, murder knows no bounds when it comes to getting revenge. Enjoy eight flopping wet mysteries from the comfort of your chair.

An Otter Disgrace by Kathryn Mykel
The Toledo Aquarium is reef with strange happenings.
Join Katherine and Cole along with their friend Becks for another unusual case. Does an employee's transgression cause an otter disgrace? Find out if our amateur sleuths sea their way in, or tank the investigation?

Clownfish & Corruption by Verena DeLuca
Exotic animals, small-town murder, and romance.
What more can a girl ask for?
I love animals. It's why I opened an animal sanctuary.
But when the sheriff called me to identify a fish, I had no idea it would lead to an investigation into the death of a college freshman.
Why in the world would he swallow a clownfish? Snorkel with me as I paddle through the evidence.

Spines of Omission by Elle Hartford
A traveling aquarium has come to Belville, and Red and her friends are thrilled to get a private tour. But not everyone in town is as excited, and unexpected dangers lurk beneath the surface appearance of colorful fun. When a murderer strikes, Red will have to explore the aquarium's hidden depths to find the truth.

Turtles and Terrible People by Rune Stroud

Rescue is her life.

After rescuing a sea turtle from its kidnappers, Rune thinks that she'll have a leisurely dinner and head to the hotel. The threads of fate aren't done with her, though, and she soon meets a pair of grandmothers who let her in on a little secret. She's needed to rescue one more animal, this time a human.

Sweeping with the Fishes by Casey Jones
Fletcher's Bay Aquarium hosts exotic wildlife, lovely treasures, and one soaking dead body. Sona Lahiri just tied up her last loose end with murder… but she's not in safe waters yet.

She has a plan, a prize to claim, and a problem: her custodian, Leonard Lake. The nosy janitor keeps prodding with endless questions — and the police aren't far behind.

Sweeping with the Fishes is the first Leonard Lake Mystery from Casey Jones. If you like Columbo, a splash of cozy noir, and a cracking reverse-whodunit, you'll love this twisting maze of discovery and deception.

Hook, Line & Stabbed by Patty Joy
Something's fishy on Kelly Green's last weekend at the campground.
When a competitor kicks the bucket in full view of everyone, Kelly trawls into the tributaries of the fisherman's world. As tensions run hot, can she muckrake through all the alibis before she's tangled in the killer's net?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aconite Cafe
• Release date: Oct 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215514283

Verena DeLuca

Verena DeLuca is a pen name for the life partner duo Sabetha Danes & NAK Baldron. When we’re not homeschooling our artistic daughter, we spend our afternoons arguing the finer details of books. Failing that, we can be found walking the many nature trails around our home. Marble Falls is an actual tourist destination an hour west of Austin, Texas, that we’re proud to call home. While Aconite Cafe isn’t an actual coffee shop, it is the name of our publishing company. We love coffee nearly as much as Hailey, though we’ve been known to break the cardinal rule and drink tea.

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COPYRIGHT

An Aquarium of Deceit

Published by Aconite Cafe

P.O. Box 63

Marble Falls, TX 78654

www.AconiteCafe.com

© 2022 Aconite Cafe

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

[e-mail]

Cover by Aconite Cafe

An Otter Disgrace © 2022 Kathryn Mykel

Corruption and Clownfish © 2022 Verena DeLuca

Spines of Omission © 2022 Elle Hartford

Turtles and Terrible People © 2022 Rune Stroud

Sweeping with the Fishes © 2022 Casey Jones

Hook, Line and Stabbed © 2022 Patty Joy

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AN OTTER DISGRACE

By Kathryn Mykel

1

Sitting in a Buildmart parking lot, in Michigan. Cole and Katherine were trying to decide whether to go south to Indiana or east to Ohio.

Katherine, your phone is ringing, Cole said. He waved the phone and held it out to her as she looked up from her sewing machine. The humming machine stopped, and she reached for the phone.

It’s Becks! Cole said.

Katherine answered the call, happy to hear from one of her sleuthing friends. Hey, Becca.

Where are you guys? Becca asked, her tone frantic.

At the moment we’re sitting in a Buildmart parking lot, in Michigan.

Perfect, head for Ohio. I’m on my way there now. I’ve received an assignment. A juicy story at the Toledo Aquarium.

Katherine looked up, her eyebrows knitted.

Cole mouthed, What’s going on? Katherine shrugged her shoulders.

Let me put you on speakerphone so Cole can hear also.

Hi, Becks, what’s going on? Cole asked.

I’ve got a lead on a story about an incident with an otter, Becca replied.

An incident? What does that mean? Running off to some unknown town and chasing down a story wasn’t unusual for their friend.

The paper is paying the expenses, so there must be something fishy going on, Becca replied. Becca was part of their Catch a Killer group, the ever popular sleuthing game, where amateurs could solve crimes in their living room on the weekends. A game that had turned out to be the catalyst for their current paths. Becca—writing columns—in her endeavor to break into real journalism, and Katherine—an amateur sleuth. While Cole was just the driver—as he would say. Not just any driver, though; he maneuvered their brand new thirty-foot home-on-wheels.

Something about animal activists, an otter and the aquarium. Don’t get upset, no otters are being harmed, but I don’t have much time, I have to catch my plane. Meet me there. Text me when you find a campground, and I’ll get a Zoomer ride from the airport and meet you, Becca said quickly. And before they could protest, she added, I’ll stay with you in the motorhome, and then disconnected the call.

Katherine looked at Cole and then back to the phone. I guess we’re going to Ohio, decision made.

Cole pulled up a map on his own phone. Looks like we are just about four hours from Toledo. Although the aquarium is in the direction we just came from.

Katherine made a pouty face. We can’t leave Becks hanging, she teased him. For whatever reason, he liked to call her Becks, and Becca hated the nickname. The two were like bratty brother and sister from the moment Katherine had introduced Cole to her friends. Katherine loved Becca like a sister as well.

Since they had built their home in Potts, Arkansas, the couple had been playing the Catch a Killer sleuthing game via an app called FriendTime. On the road in their new motorhome, Cole had his work as a web designer, and Katherine was free to make her quilts and hone her sleuthing skills as they traveled.

Before Becca called, Katherine had been piecing an Irish Chain quilt. The motor home rumbled to life, and she hurried through the trailer to put away a few things not tied down.

You don’t mind if we head to the aquarium? Katherine called out, as Cole readied his cockpit for travel.

His safety belt clicked, and he called back, I’m just the driver.

She laughed and buckled herself in. As soon as the wheels started to turn, she began her piecing again.

Once they were at cruising speed on I-90, Katherine figured she was safe to chat with her husband without distracting him from his directions. She was pretty vague.

Well, you know Becca, he replied.

Yes, that is what I am afraid of. Gas is too expensive to be backtracking on a whim.

For one, we can afford the expense. And two, I doubt she’d jump on a flight to Ohio on a whim. She must have a good enough story to get her out there.

Yeah, I guess, Katherine said, and began clipping apart her chain-piecing. We love otters. I hope no one is trying to harm them! When all her pieces were clipped apart, she stood.

She said no otters were being harmed, and she’s as honest as they come.

Katherine carried her stack of block pieces over to the counter that doubled as an ironing board—currently covered with a wool pressing mat.

She craned her neck toward the collection of stuffed otters—known as their otter babies—prominently displayed in the center of the bed. She smiled warmly at her pups, though her thoughts—and pressing—were to the dark side of the unknown happenings at the aquarium.

I finished my pressing. Katherine sat back in her captain’s chair. She thumbed the switch, and the chair silently swiveled to face the road.

That’s good, Cole replied. His eyes darted to her and back to the road, a smile riding high on his cheeks. Soft jazz music filled the camper.

Pulling her tablet out of the glove box, she said, I’ll look up a place to stay near the aquarium and make the reservations.

Mm-hmm, Cole said absentmindedly, while fiddling with some buttons on the dashboard column.

* * *

Katherine made reservations online with Buckeye Barns and Camping in Buckstop, Ohio. Becca can stay in one of the barns, Katherine murmured.

What? We can’t have her stay in a barn.

Katherine waved her hand at the notion. It’s like glamping. Don’t worry. She’ll be fine.

As long as there are indoor facilities, Cole replied, and shot a warning glance in Katherine’s direction.

I didn’t book one—I just thought— Katherine paused and wrinkled her nose. Options, that’s all.

Katherine put the tablet away and texted Becca. There would be no reply while Becca was in the air.

I sent her a text with the address and the option to book a barn. Let’s get the new location updated in Maps, Katherine said, and reached for Cole’s phone. He playfully swatted at her hand, and she grabbed the phone anyway. You shouldn’t be fiddling with the directions while you are driving. That’s what I’m here for. I’m the copilot. She typed in the location on the maps app and set the phone back in the holder.

I thought you were here to sew? he teased her.

Ha ha. I am, Katherine said with a devilish grin, and reached for his hand.

Best copilot ever, he said, minutes later, squeezing her hand.

* * *

As they pulled into the campground, Cole said, Look, they all have barn quilts painted on the sides.

Katherine looked through the enormous window of the motor home at a row of at least a dozen different barns, all the size of single-room cabins. Each barn was angled in such a way that all the painted barn quilts faced the road.

Why do you think I chose this place? she replied. Her face lit up with a huge grin, and they sat in awe for a few seconds. Awesome!

It sure is, Cole replied.

After checking into the office, they found their spot: 21B. B for big. They learned from the less than friendly manager that the sites labeled B were sized to accommodate larger motor homes and trailers such as theirs.

By the time Becca arrived, an hour later, they had finished setting up the motor home and Katherine was back to her quilting. She preferred quilts she could stitch together quickly by chain-piecing—or repeatedly performing the same step—like an assembly line. Mindless easy sewing she could do fast and therefore get more done. Her only concern was finding the local post office. The motor home’s limited space didn’t allow her to store much on board. She’d work on one, sometimes two, projects at a time and then shipp the quilt tops she wanted to keep to a local long-armer. She mailed the remaining tops to the president of the local guild, for their charity efforts.

Hey, Becks, Cole called out as he opened the trailer door and stepped out. I’m just getting the grill hot. You hungry?

You guys made good time, Becca said, leaning in the open doorway.

Katherine stood and reached out for a hug.

We had to backtrack a little, but you’ve got to see these giant cowboy statues we passed along the way. Katherine pulled out her phone.

Oh, that’s nice, Becca said with a slight eye roll. I really don’t know what you see in these roadside attractions, if you can even call them that? Give me a museum or even a used bookstore, and I’m happy as a bookworm.

Ha. I don’t know why, we just love oddball stuff. So what did you fly all the way to Toledo for?

I’ve got a hot lead on this story at the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium. It’s an otter disgrace, really, Becca said with a straight face, and Katherine boomed with laughter.

Cole stepped inside. What’s so funny?

Katherine snorted and took a deep breath. She stopped laughing just long enough to spit out the words, She said ‘an otter disgrace.’

Cole shook his head, and Becca made an I agree face. Now, if I had said that, you would have thought the joke was foolish, Cole said, and chuckled. So, the case is about otters?

I think so. I don’t know what she thinks is so hilarious, but it’s infectious, Becca replied, grinning. Within seconds, they were all laughing and clutching their stomachs.

Becca wiped her eyes. Look, I want to be taken seriously as a journalist.

But we’re all amateurs, Katherine said, and passed around a box of tissues she’d pulled off the counter behind her.

Once the trio had composed themselves after the not-so-funny, funny fit, Becca explained the story as she understood the details. The gist of it involved a disgruntled employee, urine, sick fish, and an unknown connection to otters.

Well, that does seem disgraceful—

Who would do such a thing? Katherine shrieked, interrupting Cole.

How do you expect to be taken seriously when you are investigating a person peeing in an aquarium tank? Cole finished.

Becca slouched into Katherine’s empty seat. "Look, the only freelancing job I could get was with the Daily Whisper. I have to start somewhere."

Katherine reached for the package of rolls on the counter and handed them to Cole.

Thanks.

I’m going to find the proper story. Find out what makes this joker piddle, Becca assured with a quick nod.

On that note, I think I’ll go check on the food, Cole replied, looking cross-eyed at Becks before quickly leaving the trailer with the platter of burgers and hot dogs.

Katherine and Becca soon erupted into girlish giggles again.

Do you want to stay in one of those barn cabins, Becca?

If you two need your privacy, I can, and I will.

I’m not concerned about our privacy, more for your comfort. I can fold out the kitchen table, but . . . Katherine looked over at the table. I doubt there’s five feet of space. Even at an angle—Katherine cocked her head to approximate the angle—you’re likely to get leg cramps at your height.

All right, let’s head over to the office, Becca replied, rubbing her calf as though she got leg cramps just thinking of sleeping in the confined space.

We can get you settled in, and by the time we get back, Cole will have everything set up for dinner.

Katherine’s stomach grumbled at the scent of grilled food wafting through the air as they walked through the campground. She nodded to each camper they passed. Some stood stoically at their grill stations, flipping burgers and turning corn cobs. Others, drinking and chatting animatedly as they waited for the evening’s feasts to commence.

Maybe they’ll have heard something about the case at the office? Becca said, pulling Katherine’s attention back to her.

Maybe—

* * *

After a satisfactory check of the plumbing and hot running water inside the so-called barn, the two women discovered the space was no less than a four-star hotel suite. Becca dropped her bags, and a look of disappointment crossed her face.

What is it, Becca? This place is fabulous.

I was really hoping the office manager was going to be helpful. Shouldn’t they have a unique insight?

That’s an interesting way to phrase it. You mean, shouldn’t they know all the rumors and gossip?

Ha, yes, that’s what I meant, exactly, Becca replied, and unpacked her toiletries.

She was pretty tight-lipped. I was surprised she didn’t bite when you chummed the water with details about your story.

Ha, I see what you’re doing there. Aquatic metaphors, really? Could you be any more cheesy? Becca said from the bathroom.

Katherine could hear her loud and clear over the running faucet.

I could, and I would, Katherine replied, waggling her eyebrows at Becca, who came out wiping her hands on a towel. Let’s get back, I am starving.

* * *

Dinner was full of laughter as the three friends caught up on their recent adventures. Becca went back to her cabin, and Cole and Katherine made quick work of cleaning up.

Wanna go for a walk? Katherine asked Cole as they finished putting away the last of the cleaned dishes from the meal.

Yes, of course. We can bring up the recyclables and trash, too, he said, eyeing the small bins overflowing from the day.

I’ll grab the recycle bin, if you grab the trash, Katherine replied. I hope they aren’t too strict on recycling here, like the last place. I noticed a weird recycling sticker on the side of the office building.

I would imagine they care about recycling more than most, being the town is along the water.

"True. There was a Save the Otters billboard at the highway exit. Tourism must cause a trash problem in the bay. I wonder if that’s what Becca’s case is about? I’m not a huge fan of that gossip paper she’s working for." Katherine frowned.

At least they paid for her trip, Cole said.

I guess, Katherine said, but she wasn’t convinced. Paid trip or not.

Looking down at the trash bag, Cole said, I don’t think we’ll have any problems here. We do a pretty good job of recycling. Well, we try, anyway.

We’ve been on the road for a few months now. I think we can probably do a bit better, if we try harder.

"Agreed. So, what do you think about this story Becks is